


Sleeping Without Dreaming

by Enkida



Category: RWBY
Genre: "relationship" does not necessarily mean "romance" in this case, (more than usual), Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood and Violence, Drama, Gen, Pyrrha still suffers her fate, Questionable Semblance Usage, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-03
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-19 22:59:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7380931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enkida/pseuds/Enkida
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three years ago, Beacon fell. When Ruby Rose returns to uncover the truth of what happened on that fateful day, she butts heads with Roman Torchwick, searching for a way back into his life of crime. Forced into an unwilling partnership, they begin a journey that will lead them to the very heart of the Grimm - but the real question is if they can survive each other first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Three Years Ago

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! If we’ve never crossed paths before, please bear with me - this is my first time writing for the RWBY fandom. If you haven’t seen Season 3, there’ll be spoilers. If you’re familiar with my work, what can I say: I thought I was going to finish MV (and maybe HNtDB) and call it a day. Then I got upset at the loss of Alex DeLarge, I mean Pinocchio’s Candlewick, I mean - well, you know. So here we are - I hope I won’t disappoint you with this story. One last technical note - this is an obvious canon timeline divergence after the events of S3, but Pyrrha still met her canon fate. 
> 
> This piece is going to be an attempt to hone my skill at writing battle scenes. If you like it, please, leave a review. If you hate it, please, leave a review. If you’re just passing by and you don’t even know what RWBY is, please, leave a review. I do have a plan, but my time is pretty limited, so it may take a while to get there.
> 
> The Legal Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction using characters from world of RWBY, which was created by and is trademarked to Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC. I make no profit from my work except in the form of reader reviews. My deepest gratitude to Monty Oum, and my condolences to his surviving friends and family. I hope my story will do his creation the justice it deserves.
> 
> And without further ado...

_What would an ocean be without a monster lurking in the dark?  It would be like sleep without dreams.  
\- _ Werner Herzog

 

**Prologue: Three Years Ago**

“Ya got spirit, Red, but this is the _real_ world!”

Ruby cried out in pain and curled into a protective ball as Torchwick struck her stomach.

“The real world is cold!” He raised the cane again, this time trying to hit her side. Curling tighter around herself, she lifted a leg to block the strike.

Undeterred, he kept beating her. “The real world doesn’t care about spirit!”

 _No more_ , Ruby thought, gritting her teeth. _No more wasting time when Beacon is falling!_ She slammed her foot into his leg, and was rewarded with a grunt as he was forced to his knees. _Get up_ , she told herself, but Torchwick was just as driven as she.

“You wanna be a hero?” He’d finally lost his mocking lilt; something akin to real rage colored his words. “Then play the part and _die_ like every other Huntsman in history!” He was already on his feet; he swung his cane out like a bat, sending her flying.

“As for me,” he said, calming down as he approached, “I’ll do what I do best. Lie, steal, cheat and survive!” Self-assured once more, Torchwick was confident the battle was won. _He’s really going to kill me this time!_ She cringed as his arm rose.

Salvation came from the most unexpected of sources; Ruby screamed in shock as the griffon landed out of nowhere and swallowed Torchwick whole. She didn’t even have the time to register his expression; one moment he was there, and the next there was a nauseating human-shaped lump moving down the grimm’s gullet.

The griffon lowered its head and roared, blasting her backwards.

Ruby stood, shaky on her feet; her aura was nearly depleted, no thanks to the battle with Torchwick and his smug sidekick. Still, becoming a grimm snack was not in the cards. _If I’m going to die, it’s not going to be right next to that deluded jerk_ , she promised herself. Gathering her energy, she used her semblance to skid past the griffon, aiming for her weapon.

Another roar sounded; the grimm was still hell bent on dessert. _This day just keeps getting more and more horrible._ Her hand closed around the handle of Crescent Rose seconds before she was knocked off balance by a blast; the airship fell into a steep nosedive, pitching both Ruby and her pursuer off of the ship.

Twisting around, the griffon spread its wings. Ruby clenched her teeth and dove after it. “Not so fast!” she yelled, swinging her scythe and hooking the blade around its neck. The griffon jackknifed, and Ruby threw her weight to the side to keep herself from decapitating the creature. Instead, she wedged the shaft of Rose over its neck and clamped her knees around its body, locking it into a chokehold. “Be a good horsie and get me out of here in one piece!”

Trying to coast to the ground on the back of a bucking grimm was hair-raising. It twisted and jerked through the air to throw her off; it even felt like the black skin she’d wrapped her legs around was prodding her.

 _Wait._ Ruby nearly lost her grip as she looked down. Something moved inside of the griffon again - _Torchwick? He’s still alive?_

Her stomach churned as she felt another poke. _He’s a piece of trash_ , she told herself sternly. _Focus on surviving!_ Another poke; his struggles were growing weaker, while the niggling of her conscience was becoming exponentially louder.

A loud explosion ripped through the air. The Atlesian airship was going down with a bang, and Ruby forced her mount to turn away from the flaming debris. The griffon wasn’t on board with her brilliant plan; it turned her nudge into a dive nearly as steep as the crashing airship’s.

“ _Ahh!_ ” Tears streamed out of Ruby’s eyes as the ground rushed to meet them. Panicking, she released her grip and slid off. The griffon’s mad charge brought her close enough to land with a roll that _didn’t_ break her neck; the same couldn’t be said for the unfortunate steed, beheaded by her violent dismount. Its lifeless body plowed into the ground, ripping up chunks of pavement before skidding to a stop. Moments later, wisps of black mist rose into the air.

Ruby rolled to her feet, gripping her weapon. _I guess you really can’t kill cockroaches._

Torchwick stood much more slowly, looking worse for the wear. His brief look of surprise was quickly replaced by one of disgust, taking in his own appearance. “Great. My suit is ruined!” He froze when he caught sight of her, his arms still outstretched. “You!” His eyes darted to the ground; Ruby guessed his cane also made it out of the griffon in one piece.

She hefted Crescent Rose threateningly. “Don’t move! I’m faster than you!”

Lifting his hands in surrender, Torchwick shrugged at her. “Fine by me. I’m not exactly on top of my game right now.” He looked over his shoulder as the airship finally hit the ground in a deafening fireball and winced.

“How’d we get down - no. You know what? Never mind. Let’s just call it a day and part ways here. You go do your _hero_ thing, I’ll go do my _villain_ thing, and we’ll all leave happy.” His jaw twitched, and Ruby remembered the way he’d shouted his partner’s name on the airship. “Or at least in one piece.”

Making a decision, she skipped forward. Rose petals flew; she swooped low, grabbing his cane and skittering out reach before he could blink. “I’m going to let you go,” she said, “but I want you to listen to me first.”

Torchwick rolled his eyes, but kept his hands up. “Whatever makes you happy, Red. You’re the one holding the gun.”

“I’m not trying to be the hero of Vale!” She frowned at the incredulous look on his face. “Huntsmen die because they _willingly_ give their lives to protect people from the grimm! Even people like you.”

“How sweet. You do realize that confiscating my weapon means you’re dooming me to die a horrible death out here. Maybe I’ll be swallowed up by another grimm.” He smirked. “Think you can live with that on your conscience, Red?”

“I can’t,” Ruby answered without hesitation, surprising him. “That’s why I saved you in the first place. That’s what being a Huntsman means. It’s not about _looking_ like a hero, Torchwick. It’s about _acting_ like one.” She looked overhead at the grimm swirling around them, tearing apart the city, and felt a sense of calm purpose settle within her. “You can kill a grimm by fighting it, but there’s only one way to really _defeat_ them - by letting go of your insecurities and selfishness.” She returned his smirk with a tight smile. “Not that someone like you would’ve ever learned.”

Dropping the cane at her feet, Ruby sheathed her scythe. “Get out of Beacon if you can. I didn’t have to kill that griffon, you know. I could’ve let it die and take you out with it. But... I wanted you to live.” Her voice hitched as she looked at him: green eyes, red hair, all close - _much too close_ \- to Penny’s own artificial coloring. “I don’t want _anyone else_ to die.” Blinking her tears away, she scowled at Torchwick, whose face was impassive. “I’m giving you a second chance. Think about what you’re _really_ losing before you waste it.”

He didn’t respond, and Ruby cringed inwardly, wondering why she was wasting her time. _There are better people who need saving. My job’s done here._ Steeling herself, she turned and sprinted away, intent on finding the rest of her team.

Torchwick lowered his hands, watching her go. Then he clucked his tongue, strolling over and picking up Melodic Cudgel. He stood there, looking at his weapon for a long moment, eyes squinted in thought. Whatever he’d been thinking was interrupted by the crash of a grimm lumbering towards him.

“Welcome back to the real world,” he muttered to himself, running in the opposite direction.


	2. Cover Me

_i'm going hunting for mysteries / cover me_

 

“Show me what you’ve learned, pretty boy.”  Arslan crossed her arms and smirked.  A cold wind blew through the arena.

Jaune swept his arm out, unfolding Crocea Mor’s shield.  He pointed his sword at her.  “Anytime, Arse.”

“Jaune!” Ruby lowered Crescent Rose and glared at him.  “Be nice!”

“... _lan_ ,” he added reluctantly.

Ruby shook her head with a sigh.  The buzzer sounded, and she leapt into the air.  Nadir aimed his rifle at her, but she ignored him, confident in her team’s abilities.  Sure enough, she’d barely started crossing the field before Nora screamed a battle cry; the flash of pink hair that flew by told her Nadir had already fallen victim to Magnhild.

She checked her speed as the first real challenge appeared in the form of Bolin.  Veering off, she spotted Reese crouched low on her hoverboard and switched targets.

Reese’s eyes widened.  The skater girl twisted, jerking her feet into the air to use the board as a shield.  Ruby grit her teeth; the velocity of their impact sent Reese sailing out of the arena.  Digging Crescent Rose into the ground, Ruby slid to a stop.

Ren had already engaged Bolin; the two men were trading rapid blows.  Ignoring their battle, Ruby focused on the real enemy they faced: Arslan.

The leader of Team ABRN rolled her eyes at her own teammates and threw her dagger into a tree.  “You guys still suck,” she barked at them, pulling herself away.

Ruby landed where Arslan had stood just moments too late, blasting a crater into the ground.  She blocked Arslan’s kick on her return swing with Crescent Rose; the force of the hit jarred her to her bones and sent her skidding backwards.

“Nora!”  Jaune rushed towards Ren, shouting commands at the others.  “Cover the left side!  Ren!”  It was the only warning he gave before he threw himself into the fray.  Ren spun out of the way at the last minute, and a surprised Bolin was stunned by a face full of Crocea Mors when Jaune bashed him.  “Get to Nora.  Don’t let Arslan touch you!” Jaune delivered another shield strike to Bolin’s head to incapacitate him.

“Humph.” Arslan threw her dagger again and launched into the air.

Jaune looked up in time to see her fly away.  “Ruby, hold her down!” he yelled, scrambling to his feet.

Ruby was already moving; Arslan’s mocking laughter trailed after her.  She whirled, trying interrupt the momentum of Arslan’s swing, but the other woman spun in tandem, deflecting Crescent Rose’s strikes with her armored boots.  Her monstrous strength sent Ruby careening to the ground.

“Not much of a leader, are you?” she yelled at Jaune as she swung low.  “Broadcasting your weak link like that!”

Jaune only smiled.  Watching Arslan near Ren, he raised his hand, eyes glowing blue.

Arslan hit the forcefield that sprung into existence before her face-first.  She recovered quickly, pushing off of it and flipping over the top of the barrier.  She clenched her hand into a fist and hurtled directly towards Ren.

Ren twisted around, crossing his arms in a guard.  Then he smirked as Arslan made contact - and his body turned translucent.

“Wha-?” Instead of smashing into Ren, Arslan met a pair of wide green eyes and a manic smile.

“ _Yea-h-h!_ ” Nora swung her hammer straight through Ren’s phased body.  She knocked Arslan back into Jaune’s forcefield, which shattered on impact.

“What was that?” Jaune said, shrugging his shoulders as he approached Arslan’s crumpled form.  “I couldn’t hear what you were saying about my _leadership skills_ over your beat down.”

Arslan lifted her head.  “Tch,” she spat, rolling forward.  As she rose to her feet, she drove her fist into Nora’s stomach, who went flying.  Ren was on her in the next moment, aiming for Arslan’s head with several quick punches.

She blocked him easily; soon Ren’s flurry of strikes turned into defensive blocks.  A few of her stronger hits tore the fabric away from his sleeves, and he winced and tried to disengage.

“What, no more tricks?” Arslan sneered, pulling her arm back for a final, shattering blow.

“Just one!” Ruby yelled, sweeping her scythe out in a deadly arc.  Arslan cursed and sprung out of the way, but this time Ruby kept up with her.  When Arslan threw her dagger to pull herself out of range, Ruby swung Crescent Rose towards the rope, parting it cleanly.  The momentum of Arslan’s own aborted swing flung her to the ground.  She rolled to a stop, and Ruby put out an extra burst of speed to follow her, trailing rose petals.

“You think this will hold me?” Arslan spat as Ruby planted her scythe over the other woman’s neck, trapping her.  Arslan leaned back and scissored her legs in a circle, knocking both Ruby and the scythe away.  She tried to flip to her feet, only to be slammed back down by another of Jaune’s forcefields.  It lowered and spread over her, crushing her into the ground.

“Give up yet?” Jaune asked, sauntering over and planting one foot on top of his barrier.  He leaned forward and grinned at Arslan, who stopped struggling.

“You guys are assholes,” Arslan ground out.  Rolling her eyes, she raised her voice.  “I yield to the assholes with the overpowered Semblances.  Happy now?”

“They’re not overpowered,” Jaune answered, dissolving the forcefield and offering Arslan a hand.  “Semblances are meant to be used.”

“Your monster monkey fists are what’s overpowered,” Ruby added under her breath, checking Crescent Rose for damage.  She looked up as Jaune gave her a pat on the back.

“Good job, Ruby,” he said warmly.  Then he looked over his shoulder.  “Ren!  Is Nora okay?”

“I’m fine!  Totally _fine!_ ”  Nora burst out of the pile of rubble created by her crash landing and waved at them with a sunny smile.  “ _Whew_ , that girl can pack a punch!”

“She hits even harder than you,” Ren noted, fingering his tattered sleeves with dismay.  “Did you have to do that?” he added, glaring at Arslan.  “This was a gift from my grandmother.”

Arslan dusted herself off.  “Don’t blame me.  You’re the one dumb enough to wear a family heirloom into battle.”

“Hey!  I don’t see a problem here,” Jaune interrupted.  He shooed a quietly fuming Ren off in Nora’s direction.  “We’re proud of showing the world where we came from.  Crocea Mors is ancient too, but we _still_ beat you.”

“Pfaugh!”  Arslan looked annoyed. “You beat me with your teammates, not your sword, pretty boy.  Speaking of which - where are those useless idiots of mine?”

“We’re not useless.”  Bolin, the least-battered member of Team ABRN, approached them, carrying Reese over his shoulder.

“Oh!” Ruby said, dismayed.  “Did I hurt her?”

“Not exactly…” Bolin trailed off as Reese kicked her legs out with a wild yell.

“Let me go!  I’m gonna kill her!  You broke my board _again_ , Ruby!”  Bolin winced as the smaller girl smacked him on the back with a piece of her hoverboard.  “This is the third time!”

 _Oops… I guess I miscalculated my speed when I hit her._  Wincing, Ruby took a careful step away from them and avoided Jaune’s sudden scrutiny.  “I… can help you fix it later?”

Reese finally managed to kick herself off of Bolin’s shoulder.  “You better!  Do you know how much this thing costs?”  She held up her smashed board, glaring.  “With the price of dust crystals going through the roof, I can barely afford to maintain it!”

“I can make it better than before,” Ruby mumbled, somewhat mollifying the skater.

Arslan looked between them.  “And where’s the last member of the Stooges Three?”

“We found him.”  Nora and Ren approached with a limping Nadir slung between their shoulders.

“We’re supposed to graduate this year.” Arslan’s tone grew frosty; she stood directly before her teammate and crossed her arms.  “The way you’re going, you’ll fail.  Give up on becoming a Huntsman, Nadir.  You’re a fourth year and you can’t even last _two seconds_ in a _spar_.”

Nadir dropped his head, blinking in shame, and Ruby winced.

“Hey,” Jaune said, stepping forward.  “Lay off him.  He tried his best.  He’s your teammate, you should be giving him support and pointers, not cutting him down!”

Arslan spun, redirecting her glare towards Jaune.  “No.  That’s the problem with you Vale softies.  You baby your team too much.  If you want to be strong, the only person you can depend on to get you there is yourself.”  Her glare faded into a wry smirk.  “Look at where your kind of thinking got Beacon.”

Ruby clenched her fists.  “That’s not fair!” she shouted.  “You were _there_ , you saw -”

“I saw your Academy fall because you were counting on your Headmaster to save you.  That same Headmaster who went _missing_ during your time of greatest need.”

“ _Ozpin’s not dead - !_ ”  Ruby’s words choked off as Jaune yanked her back by her cape.

“That was a cheap shot, Arslan,” he said, eyes narrowing.  “You know what day it is.”

Arslan shrugged, unapologetic.  “Cheap shots are the only kind the grimm know how to take.  Huntsmen can’t be _weak_.  If Nadir can’t cut it, I’m doing him a favor by telling him now.  Before a grimm decides to teach him that lesson _permanently._ ”

“Hey!”  Nora trembled with anger, not noticing how Nadir’s face turned grey when her grip on his arm tightened.  “We’re not weak, you harpy!  You wanna go again right now, huh?”

Ren sighed and carefully pried Nora’s fingers off of Nadir.  “Today’s a bad day to provoke her.  We should just leave.”

“Yeah,” Jaune said.  He paused and gave Arslan a hard look.  “I don’t care what you think of me.  Heck, it’s probably true.  But if you call my team soft again, we _will_ have a rematch.  And we won’t hold back like we did just now, _Arse_.”

Ruby chose not to scold him this time.

Arslan’s eye twitched, but she stopped when Bolin grabbed her shoulder.

“Boss.  Let it go,” he said.  “We need to get Nadir to the clinic.”

Shaking him off, Arslan sniffed.  She reached out and grabbed Nadir, pulling him out of Ren’s grasp and slinging him over her shoulder with one arm.  “Team ABRN.  Scramble.”  Before they left, she looked back and gave Jaune a mocking wink.  “See you around, pretty boy.”

“We’re just gonna let her go like tha-mpfh!”  Nora’s yell cut off as Ren covered her mouth.

Jaune’s aggressive posture dropped as soon as the other team was out of sight; he sighed and rubbed the back of his head.  “Well… I guess it’s another win for Team RNJR?”

Ruby, reining her temper in more quickly than Nora did, sheathed Crescent Rose.  “Personally, I think she’s still mad at you for turning her down.”

“Really?” Ren said, grunting a little as Nora struggled.  “ _I_ thought she was trying to flirt with him.”

Nora finally escaped from Ren’s clutches and huffed.  “Well, our little Jaune can’t help being one of the most eligible bachelors around, can he?”  She hopped over and grabbed Jaune’s cheeks, pinching them with an adoring coo.  “Just look at that face!”

Said face, besides being stretched wide by Nora’s tight grip, was also turning the same shade as Ruby’s cloak.  “Let me go!” he squealed.

Nora released her pincher hold on his cheeks and slapped them with her palms instead.  “Don’t you even consider it, Jaune!  That witch doesn’t deserve you!  She doesn’t even deserve her own team!”

Jaune’s embarrassment faded.  “I know,” he said, herding them out of the arena.

Ruby whistled.  “Whoa!  You’re actually agreeing with Nora about something?”

Pinking, Jaune stammered, looking less like a fearless team leader and more like the awkward boy Ruby had come to know at Beacon.  “Actually, I don’t think she’s all that bad!  Arslan’s pretty powerful _and_ she’s on our side.  It’s just that…”  He trailed off, and an air of quiet melancholy overtook him.

Ruby studied him from the corner of her eye; the funks Jaune would periodically fall into were exactly what made him so attractive - and unavailable - to the other female students.  That, and his tendency to engage in sacrificial heroics.  In Haven’s ruthless society, an attitude like his was almost inconceivable.  It was fortunate that Jaune’s immense aura capacity and Semblance made his unique approach survivable.

Only a few people knew that Jaune’s most distinctive traits were just the surface of the troubled legacy Pyrrha had left behind.  Ruby counted herself lucky to be one of them.

“It’s too soon,” Ruby finished for him, and their post-battle euphoria dissipated like spent dust.

Jaune’s throat bobbed, and he stopped in the hallway leading to their dorms.  “It’s been three years today,” he finally managed to say.  Ren and Nora crowded around him, shielding his grief from the curious eyes of the other students.  Ruby said nothing, but it was written on everyone’s faces - _three years since Pyrrha’s death_.

She watched them huddle, and tried not to feel like an outsider - Pyrrha was her friend, too - but she wasn’t party to the unique pain shared by the surviving the members of Team JNPR.  The sharp stab of loss when she thought about Team RWBY came pretty close, though.

Ruby cleared her throat.  “Sparring today was probably a bad idea,” she said, making her way towards the privacy of her own dorm room. “We’ve all got a lot on our minds right now.”

Jaune looked up, noticing Ruby drifting off.  “Get back here,” he groused, pulling her into their group hug.  “Don’t do that.  You’re part of our team now.”

“Yeah!” Nora said, sniffing as she clutched Ruby in a bone-crushing embrace.  “It’s not like we think of you as her replacement.  Well, I mean, you sorta are, but that’s different!  Oh… this is coming out all wrong.  Ren!  Fix it!”

“What Nora meant to say is that you’re a valuable member of our team.  RNJR wouldn’t be the same without you.”  Ren’s voice choked off as Nora squealed and glomped him.

Watching their antics, Ruby felt some of her moodiness fading.  “Yeah, I guess ‘ _JuNioR_ ’ does kind of stink as a team name.”  Extracting herself from the others, she gave them a thankful smile.  “Not that I don’t appreciate the sentiment, but I really do need to take a break right now.  Arslan hit my baby pretty hard, I’m not sure if she damaged Crescent Rose.”

Nora’s cheeks puffed up in a pout.  “You and that weapon of yours!  It’s no wonder you can’t get a boyfriend.  Or a girlfriend!  You’re already in a monogamous relationship with an oversized _sickle_!”

“Crescent Rose is a high-caliber sniper-scythe, thank you very much,” Ruby said haughtily.  She patted her weapon.  “There there, sweetie.  Auntie Nora didn’t meant to hurt your feelings.”

“Fine, fine, I can see you two need some time alone to celebrate your victory.”  Nora smirked.  “Come on, Ren.  After a battle like that, I need food!  Or at least a stiff drink to get over Arslan’s ugly face.”

“Nora, you’re not old enough to drink yet…”

“Stop focusing on the details!” Nora yelled as she dragged her hapless companion away.

Ruby laughed at them and tried to edge towards her room.

“Wait a sec, Ruby.  I need to talk to you.”

Freezing, Ruby resisted the urge to disappear in a cloud of rose petals.  Carefully smoothing her expression, she turned around and smiled at Jaune.  “What’s up?  Was there a problem with my performance today?”

“What?  No!  No, you were good!”  Jaune sighed and ran a hand through his hair.  “You’re always good, Ruby, you know that.  You train harder than anyone else.”

“Then what…”

Jaune shushed her and glanced around.  “Not here,” he said, gesturing at her room.  

She ushered him inside and shut the door behind them.  “Jaune!  You know people are going to talk if they catch wind of you hanging out in my dorm room, _alone._ ”

For once, Jaune’s embarrassment didn’t get the best of him.  “Ruby,” he said with a knowing look.  “Stop using it.”

Ruby jerked and forced herself to stop moving.  It was too late, he’d seen the movement.  Jaune’s stern look morphed into one of anger.   She dropped her head and sighed in defeat.  A cloud of rose petals exploded around her and faded.  “Fine.  I’m not right now, okay?”

Jaune’s frown remained firmly entrenched on his face.  “I meant stop using it for the rest of today.  And tomorrow.  And anytime we’re not sparring, actually.”

Ruby glared at him, sulking.  “You’re the one who said our Semblances were meant to be used.”

“ ** _Not like this!_** ”

She recoiled from Jaune’s unexpected shout, eyes widening.

He sighed and rubbed his head, trying to calm down.  “Look, I know you’re trying hard.  I get it.  But can’t you see what keeping your Semblance active is doing to you?”

Recovering from her surprise, Ruby scowled at him.  “For your information, I _know_ what it’s doing to me.  It’s making me the best Huntress-in-Training Haven Academy’s ever seen.”  Jaune’s face was tightening in anger again, so she pressed her assault.  “I’ve doubled the amount of time I can spend training!  I’m slowing my rate of aura depletion!  I can use my Semblance for longer than ever before!  I’m getting _better_ -”

She was shocked into silence when Jaune grabbed her shoulders.  “Ruby.  I know it hurts.  Stop trying so hard.  Please, _not today_.”

“I can take care of myself, you know -” she said with less vehemence, but he only spun her around and marched her across the room.  She let him; Jaune was her best friend.  They knew each other inside out, and she knew just how much his heart still hurt over losing Pyrrha.  He’d discovered the depths of his feelings too late.  In his grief, he latched onto her like one of his missing sisters.  In truth, she’d done the same to him - she needed his support as an older sibling just as much, especially after Yang all but gave up on that job.

They stopped in front of the full-length mirror mounted on her wall; Jaune released her to pull away the fabric she’d draped over most of it.  “Look!  Your hair grew again.  Nora said you got it cut yesterday!”

 _Shoot, I knew I missed something._  “I - I’m a fast grower -” Ruby hedged.

“You’re eighteen years old!”  As if to prove his point, Jaune stood behind her.  She wasn’t quite as short as before; almost as tall as Yang, she realized with a start; that was at least another centimeter or two since the beginning of the year.  He was right; her hair _was_ longer; lazy to have missed that.  Maybe keeping the mirror covered wasn’t such a good idea, even if it did make it easier to ignore the changes in her body.

“I’ve heard of growth spurts, but if you keep this up you’re going to look older than us by the time we graduate.”  He trailed off.  “I don’t understand why.  Why are you doing this to yourself?”

“I’m trying to grow up!”  Ruby met his eyes in the mirror.  “The world doesn’t need another child who can’t do anything.  I need to catch up!  I need to be able to -”

Jaune cut her off with a snort.  “This isn’t catching up, Ruby.  This is you running.”

Ruby dropped her gaze.  “You know why,” she mumbled.  “Today’s when everything went _wrong_.”  The anniversary of Pyrrha’s death.  Of _Penny’s_ death.  Of Ozpin going missing and the grimm running rampant over Vale.  The third anniversary of the destruction of Team RWBY.

She closed her eyes.  Maybe it did make her a horrible person, but it was the last one that got to her the most, more than any other loss.  Weiss was trapped in Atlas, chafing under her father’s iron thumb.  Blake was still running, missing without a single word even after three years.  And Yang, her own sister, remained a pale shadow wasting away in Patch, watching and waiting for Blake to come back.

She didn’t realize Jaune was hugging her until she managed to bring her sobs under control.  He didn’t seem to mind that she was ugly-crying all over his suit of armor, though he did offer her a large wad of tissues when he let her go.  “I’m sorry,” she said, half-referring to his mucus-stained pauldron.  “And… thanks,” she added with a touch more embarrassment, blowing her nose.

Jaune said nothing and gave her enough space to recover her dignity; he’d always been good at reading people.  It was probably why he was the best choice to lead Team RNJR.

It was a silly team name - at Haven, they’d given _her_ that honor, and the remains of team JNPR.  Ruby had seceded to Jaune immediately; they were both still smarting from the events at Beacon.  The difference was that Jaune was more driven than ever to keep his remaining team together, while Ruby struggled helplessly with her complete and utter failure to do the same.  The team name never changed, but it was an open secret that Jaune was the one who really sailed their ship.

Cleaning the last of the mess from her face, she noticed Jaune studying the prosthetic arm spread out across her desk.

“You’ve been working on it again?” he asked, poking it.  He jumped back when a panel on the forearm flipped open, snapping out into a small shield.

“Yeah!  Your weapon’s the one that gave me the idea to put the shield in,” Ruby said, her excitement growing.  Weapons development - now that was a language she could _speak_.  “I was thinking of giving The Duke a dust funnel, but it’d have to be in powder format, and I thought that might be too volatile since Yang would be punching -”

Jaune’s pitying look stilled the words in her throat.  She swallowed, touching a panel on the limb and retracting the shield.

“Did she even try the last one on?”

“No…”  A sudden spike of anger curled in Ruby’s breast.  Weiss got into _a lot_ of trouble smuggling her the blueprints for the state-of-the-art prosthetic; Ruby tried not to think too hard of the fact that they’d probably belonged to Penny.  Building the initial arm had been time-consuming and expensive.  When Yang returned the package to her unopened the first year, Ruby was crushed.  The second year, she was worried.  This year - well, this year she was _mad_.  “But she’d better take it this time, or I’m going back to Patch and welding it on her myself!”

“She’s grieving,” Jaune told her.  “You can’t speed up that process by building her a new arm.”

“At least I can try, can’t I?” Ruby snapped.  Carefully covering the arm with a sheet, she let out a slow breath.  “None of this would be happening if I just could’ve held my team together.”

“It wasn’t your fault -” Jaune said staunchly.

“No.  I’ve been asking myself this for three years,” she told him.  “What could I have done differently? _I should have stayed with them._  I thought I could do everything by myself, and instead -”  She trailed off, sinking onto her bed.  “No matter how fast I run, the answer keeps catching up to me.”

Jaune sat next to her, frowning.  “Well, if your demons keep chasing you… then maybe it’s time we go meet them head-on.”

Ruby looked up.  “What do you mean?”

“You’re wondering about what happened at Beacon, right?  Maybe we should go and find out.”  He clasped his hands together and looked at them.  “I have questions too, you know.  I want… I _need_ to see Pyrrha’s -”  He cut himself off.  “I mean, maybe we’re both strong enough to find some answers now.”  

“You’re talking about going back to Vale,” Ruby breathed.  “It’s a warzone there, Jaune.  I heard Glynda’s holding a settlement full of survivors together in the town, but the dragon’s still on the tower and the grimm just keep coming.”  Even as she spelled out all of the reasons Jaune’s idea was bad, she couldn’t help the spark of excitement that his words lit within her.  “... are you sure we’re ready?”

Jaune’s face hardened.  “Maybe we’ve waited too long.  What have we been training for in the last three years, if not to find answers?”  Relaxing, he smiled at her.  “Besides, someone has to keep you company.  You may look as old as the rest of us, but you’re still our junior mentally.”

Scowling, Ruby struck his arm.  “You say that like you don’t know anything about Nora,” she protested.  Then she stilled.  “You said _us_.  You _do_ mean Ren and Nora too?”

“We’re a team,” Jaune answered.  “We stick together, thick and thin.  _All_ of us need closure.”

Ruby turned over his offer in her head.  She’d seen Penny and Pyrrha die; Yang was crippled, Weiss was trapped and Blake was _gone_.  The grimm were more active than ever, dust shortages were hitting the four kingdoms even harder than the White Fang, and there were rumors of war brewing among the Councils.  And the woman responsible for it all - Cinder - had disappeared, vanished just as thoroughly as Ozpin.  She thought of Arslan’s mocking criticism of Vale, and wondered if it held a grain of truth.   _If we’re really on our own, then what are we waiting for?_

“It’s not just about us,” Jaune said aloud, echoing her thoughts.  “The world needs answers.  If no one’s going to look for them, then - isn’t that our job now?  As Huntsmen?”

Ruby tried to hide her smile unsuccessfully.  “We haven’t graduated yet, you know.”

Jaune returned her smile, but his was more tired than hers.  Ruby reminded herself again that he’d loved Pyrrha; in a way, he was the one who’d suffered the most.  “We all graduated three years ago.”

Ruby took his hand.  “So... Beacon, then?”

“Beacon,” he answered, his fingers tightening around hers.  “Together, this time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title comes from a song by Björk. I’m not using a beta for this, so if you catch an error in the story, please leave a comment in the reviews so I can fix it. Also, don’t get excited about the update speed; the first chapter was just a short prologue. This is the real story now, and it will probably take a bit longer to flesh out things between chapters.
> 
> Technical Notes  
> RNJR is pronounced “Ranger.”
> 
> Semblances (mostly non-canon):  
> Jaune’s Semblance is the creation of forcefields without dust. His stamina and ability to soak more damage than others is because of his huge aura, not his Semblance. When Jaune uses his Semblance, his eyes glow blue.
> 
> Ren’s Semblance is phasing, the ability to become partially incorporeal and pass through objects. He can extend this skill to anything he touches, like his clothes - or other people. He can also manipulate aura more skillfully than others, but this isn’t his Semblance - and it still tires him out.
> 
> Nora’s Semblance and abilities are exactly the same as her canon ones.
> 
> Ruby’s Semblance is still speed; her non-canon practice of maintaining it constantly is an attempt to “raise” her aura pool as well as manage her aura expenditure more efficiently. In case it wasn’t clear, yes, it also has the side effect of aging her too rapidly.
> 
> The prosthetic arm Ruby designed is named after John Wayne (“The Duke”).


	3. It's Not Up To You

_i can decide what i give / but it's not up to me / what i get given_

 

“For fuck’s sake, not this again.” Grabbing his hat, Roman turned and ran down the dark alley.

“There he is!”

Footsteps thundered after him; he found himself acutely missing Neo’s presence. She’d always been good at deflecting pursuers; Roman was more of a lead-the-charge kind of guy. As long as _leading_ meant _throwing your mooks at the problem_. It was difficult to do when one lacked mooks. It was a bit more complicated when one’s mooks were the problem.

“Gotcha!” Something wrapped around his ankles, and Roman crashed to the ground. His hat and cane went flying. _Shit! When it rains, it pours._ Scowling, he rolled over and wriggled free, making a grab for the cane.

The faunus girl snapped her whip, blocking him. Her face was obscured by a grimm mask, but the two curved antlers sprouting from her temples were clearly visible. Her beefy companion caught up to them; his face was also hidden, though the squat horn that jutted out from the center of his mask was too obvious to hide.

“Long time no see,” the girl said with a cold grin. “We’ve missed you.”

“Really?” Roman reached for Melodic Cudgel. “Then let me give you a proper hello -” The girl flicked her whip, knocking the cane away from him and clipping his fingertips in the process. He hissed in pain, then turned his grimace into a smirk. “That’s no way to greet an old friend, sweetheart.”

“You’re no friend of the White Fang!”

The whip lashed again, and he crashed to the ground, suit ripped. “God damn it,” he swore, sitting up and looking at the tear. “What is it with you people and my clothes?” He was slammed back down when Rhino - what he decided to call her hulking cohort - lumbered forward and stepped on his chest. Wheezing, Roman put his hands up in surrender. “Ok, you got me. Ease up a little, will you?”

“Oh, so we’re _people_ now? You should have thought that before you used us like cannon fodder!” Gazelle girl, as he dubbed her, pulled her whip taut. “I don’t think we’ll be _easing up_ , Mr. Torchwick. The White Fang still remembers you too well.”

Roman held his easy smile. Inwardly, however, his temper boiled. _If I ever find that bitch Cinder, I’m going to make her pay for this._ “Listen, I was only acting on orders,” he began. “You wouldn’t want to double cross Fall, would you? Let me tell you, she doesn’t tolerate anyone messing with her subordinates - ”

“Taurus leads us now, Torchwick. And he doesn’t care for _humans_ like you.” The way she said the word made it sound dirtier than the pavement he was crushed against. As if in response to the girl’s words, Rhino’s foot ground down even harder.

Roman ignored the feeling of being turned into another one of the stains on the street and kept his poker face in place. “I heard your new leader wanted to deal with me personally. So you mean you’re not afraid of pissing off the raging bull himself, are you?” The foot on his chest eased up, and Roman struggled to keep himself from visibly sucking in more air.

“Ginger… are you sure we should be doing this? Taurus wants him alive.”

“Shut up!” Gazelle girl looked furious. “And stop using my name, you idiot,” she snapped at her partner.

Roman barked out a dry laugh. _These mutts… they couldn’t find two brain cells to rub together between the both of them._ “What’s the matter, _Ginger_? Scared?”

“Of you?” Ginger smirked. “Why should I be? Just look at you. _This_ is the great Roman Torchwick, master thief and con artist.” She gave his tattered suit and worn gloves a once-over. “You look more like a common thug to me.” Stepping over him, she hooked the toe of one wickedly pointed shoe under his chin and lifted it. “And not a very skilled one at that.”

“Honey, you don’t know the half of my skills,” Roman told her, letting his eyes wander. “Nice skirt, by the way. I can see you’re a fan of lace.”

Hissing, Ginger withdrew her foot, only to whip his head back with a sharp kick. The pain wasn’t enough to dull his vision; what he could see of her face had turned bright red. “You’re a dead man,” she promised, and the crushing weight of Rhino returned full-force, squeezing the breath out of him.

“All right, all right,” Roman groused, working his jaw and checking for loose teeth. “I know, I have to pay for my crimes. I’ve heard this song and dance before. If you’re gonna execute me, so be it.” He huffed out a melodramatic sigh. “Just remember, it’s on your own heads if Taurus comes after you.”

This time, Rhino didn’t budge, and Ginger’s melodic laughter filled the air. “You think our leader wants to save you, fool?” She leaned over Roman, careful this time to keep her legs out of his view. “The only reason he wants to see you is to make you into an example. _You_ are the face of everything that’s wrong with Remnant! Taurus is going to string you up and leave you to die. _Slowly._ He even promised his top lieutenants they could have a go at you first.”

Rhino drew a slow thumb over his throat, and Roman’s blood ran cold. He’d always suspected as much, given the nature of his past run-ins with members of the White Fang. With Junior’s information network destroyed and chaos rising in the wake of Cinder’s unexpected absence, there wasn’t any real way of checking. To finally hear it aloud was both a relief and a final damnation at once.

Wanted by the law, wanted by the terrorists… there weren’t very many bridges left for Roman to burn, and the places where he could hide from the heat were growing worrisomely sparse.

Ginger’s smile widened as she caught on to his discomfort. “Not such a hot shot anymore, are you?” She stroked the handle of her whip along the side of his face. “We’re really doing you a favor, Mr. Torchwick. Compared to Taurus, your death at our hands will be _merciful_.”

Roman stared into the eye slits of the girl’s mask. “Grant a condemned man one last request?” he asked.

“Of course not,” Ginger told him airly. “You… you’re no man, Mr. Torchwick. You’re _scum_.” She raised her whip, teeth baring in a bloodthirsty smile.

 _This is it, huh_ , Roman thought, closing his eyes with a sense of tired resignation. It was almost anticlimactic, all things considered - to be killed by a faunus grunt. The griffon from three years ago would’ve been a better way to go. He frowned; death sure was taking her sweet time.

Cracking an eye open, he watched Rhino hold Ginger back; she struggled against him with a fierce scowl on her face.

“C’mon, Ginger. Don’t sink to his level.”

“Ugh! Fine.” She wrenched her arm free from Rhino’s grip and stalked away. “This is all you, though. Don’t involve me in your idiotic sense of honor.”

Both of Roman’s eyes focused on the Rhino leaning in towards him. “One last request, Torchwick.” It felt like the huge man’s heel was going to crack one of his ribs. “And no tricks.”

Once again, Roman was struck by the stupidity of his captors. They’d already declared they were going to off him. _What kind of fool thinks I’d be intimidated by any other threats at this point?_ Rolling his eyes, he held his hands up. “No tricks. I just want to die with a little dignity, if you will.”

Ginger snorted at his words. “You can’t reclaim what you never had.”

Roman ignored her, gesturing towards his discarded hat. “Let me look the part before I go, that’s all I’m asking.”

Rhino traded a silent glance with Ginger; she looked upset, but gave her partner a curt nod. Wrapping his arm in a crushing grip, the huge man dragged Roman to his feet.

Rhino hauled him towards the bowler hat and threw him against the ground. “Pick it up and stand by the wall,” he ordered.

Standing up, Roman dusted his suit off, trying to smooth out the creases. He hadn’t been able to afford his usual wool blend for years now; still, no one ever had to look _poor_ . After combing through his hair, he bent over and picked the hat up, flipping it in his hands. “Just remember: I _did_ try to run.” He cleared his throat. “Now, any last words?”

Rhino looked confused. “Huh?”

Ginger snarled at him. “That’s what we’re supposed to ask yo-”

Her head sailed off her shoulders mid-sentence. Roman hit the ground, rolling for Melodic Cudgel while the idiot rhinoceros kid stood there gaping. Grabbing his cane, he rose smoothly to grab the spinning hat out of the air, careful to avoid the bloody blades extending from its brim. _And for the bruiser_ -

Rhino slammed him into the wall, punching the air out of his chest. Struggling, Roman slashed the blades against the faunus’ bulging neck, trying to sever an artery. He missed, but Rhino drew back far enough to avoid Roman’s next swing - his last mistake.

A sharp crack sounded through the air, and the huge man slumped over, suddenly boneless. Roman grunted and struggled under the unexpected weight, pushing him off with some difficulty. The faunus landed with a wet thud against the ground, the gaping hole in the center of his chest leaking blood into the alleyway.

Stepping out of the way of the slowly-expanding pool of red, Roman held up Melodic Cudgel and inspected the barrel with disgust. “That was my last dust round, you fucking mutt.” Frustrated, he kicked the corpse.

Pride was telling Roman to stalk off; any fight you could walk away from was a victory - and he’d made through yet another ambush alive. The cops weren’t going to come running after him in the slums of Atlas, not when the White Fang were the biggest thorns in the Schnee Dust Company’s side. All in all, he’d come out of the entire ordeal only a little worse for the wear.

The same couldn’t be said for his suit, which was now not only tattered, but also bloody to boot. Roman sighed. Pride didn’t matter much when you needed to eat, and things had been getting tight of late. Squatting by the body, he rooted through Rhino’s pockets. Flipping through the few possessions he found, he took another quick look at the man’s corpse.

“Well, ‘Ahina,’ thanks for your contribution to the Torchwick Survival Fund,” he said, stuffing the wad of cash into his pocket. “I’ll be sure to put this to better use than you would’ve.” He leaned forward and grabbed the knife off of the man’s belt. The hilt was clearly marked with the symbol of the White Fang; the blade, however, was solid. Plus, there was always the delicious irony of killing his next White Fang assailant - and there always was a _next_ , those rodents were _everywhere_ \- with one of their own weapons.

Moving over to Ahina’s headless companion, Roman made sure to stomp on the hand still holding the whip, cracking a few of the corpse’s fingers under his heel. “Bitch,” he muttered, before searching her body as well. As suspected, she was better off than her friend; any terrorist who could afford lace panties had to have access to the finer things in life.

Chuckling to himself, Roman pocketed his newfound fortune, which included several vials of powdered dust. There were even a few cartridges left in the handle of her whip, which he quickly liberated. Almost everything was useless for Melodic Cudgel, but he was confident he’d be able to sell what he’d collected on the black market for a few more rounds of the appropriate caliber.

 _As long as I can avoid any more of those damn White Fang members along the way._ Annoyed, Roman cleaned the blades of his bowler off against the girl’s skirt, before retracting them and donning it carefully. Then, standing up, he punted her head into the wall like a soccer ball. The grimm mask she’d been wearing cracked and fell away as it rolled to a stop; her eyes were still open. Their glassy gaze bore into him with an accusing, macabre stare.

 _You and your kind brought us to this._ **_Murderer._ **

“Takes one to know one,” Roman grunted. Something churned in his stomach; he turned and stalked out of the alley, irate with himself. _That rhinoceros boy must’ve done a real number on me._

The excuse sounded cheap, even to his own ears. Roman didn’t allow himself to think any further than that, though; the real world was harsh, and second-guessing yourself was a guaranteed fast track to a future of pushing up daisies. Still, double homicides always put him in a foul mood. Roman found himself drifting, searching for a bar that would neither cater to faunus nor inspect the stains on his dark suit too closely.

It chafed to be wearing the cheap piece of tailoring - Roman really missed his old clothes, events in the alleyway notwithstanding. In the dark, non-descript goon suit, however, the only thing that stood out about Roman was his shock of bright orange hair and lack of sunglasses. After three years of having the White Fang hound his every movement, he’d come to accept that his fashion sense was going to have to take a back seat to his safety.

Finding a locale that looked appropriately seedy, Roman shouldered his way inside and slid into a seat at the dingy bar. “Gimmie the strongest thing you’ve got here,” he demanded, pushing a bill across the countertop.

The bartender placed a shot glass in front of him and poured out a generous measure of some sort of pungent liquor. When he finished, Roman pushed another bill across the table. “All of it.” The barkeep wisely kept his commentary to himself, though he did leave the mysterious bottle of amber-colored swill behind. Roman thought it looked more than just a little like piss. Steeling himself, he grabbed the shot glass and tossed it back. _Tastes like it too._

He reached for the bottle and froze, catching sight of himself in the mirror behind the counter. _How the mighty have fallen indeed._ His reflection stared back at him with a haggard face and unkempt hair. Roman resisted the urge to straighten himself out - it would only draw attention, and he was working hard to disappear. _The perks of being a wanted criminal._ Toasting himself in the mirror, he knocked back another shot.

“Wonder when it all went to hell,” he said moodily, pouring another glass. Then he smirked. _Dumb question._ Everything went to hell with Beacon, three years ago. After his brush with death - why that stupid kid decided to save him still baffled him to this day - he hadn’t been able to get far before the grimm swarmed him once more.

He’d taken cover in the rubble of one of the abandoned buildings; Melodic Cudgel could only do so much, and he’d lost both his scroll and his partner in one fell shot. There were no easy outs, and after a vicious firefight, he’d been sure he was going to die at the jaws of a grimm, _again_. This time he knew what was coming; being stuck in the gullet of that griffon was an experience that Roman was never going to forget.

He’d given up then - just sat down and stopped trying, laughing to himself for cheating death, only to have it catch up around the very next corner. All the effort that little girl expended for his sake, the whole big speech - it was all a load of crap in the end. And then, as the grimm surrounded the shelter he’d holed himself in, he’d had the strangest thought.

It was _nice_ , actually. Refreshing, to see that even in the gigantic pile of greed and misery that made up Remnant, someone still _believed_ in all that fairy tale bullshit. His laughter had faded into a genuine smile, and it took him longer than it really should have to notice that the grimm were moving away from his hideout.

“Think happy thoughts, huh,” Roman repeated to himself, nursing his drink. Had that been what that girl meant about defeating the grimm? He smirked to himself. _Happy thoughts_ got you killed in the real world; if not physically, nursing them was bound to crush your soul at some point. Happiness didn’t thrive in Remnant, and only imbeciles opened themselves up to that kind of vulnerability willingly. He wouldn’t be surprised if the kid had died on that very day; a lot of people had.

When the world exploded into silvery light, he’d assumed Cinder betrayed him; that she was going to blow Beacon off the face of Vale, and him right along with it. Then he’d realized that only the grimm were affected by the explosion; they disintegrated around him into thick clouds of black smoke. He’d thought himself the world’s luckiest man - until the first faunus spotted him.

It was the beginning of a three year hunt that still hounded him. They’d already known him then; the fiasco with the train was still fresh in their memories. And the only one who could keep them in line, that bitch Cinder, had ditched him like yesterday’s news. The White Fang had been counting on the chaos of the battle to cover his death, whether by their hands or that of the grimm. What they hadn’t accounted for was his will to survive.

Roman stopped playing with his glass and finished the drink with a sour look. _And here I am, still surviving hand-to-mouth._ He wasn’t cut out for life on the lamb; hell, he’d ended up in _Atlas_ , the last place he ever thought he’d return to. At least the city was both familiar _and_ big enough to get lost in.

 _Lost_ was a good way to put it. Having never fostered good relations with either Emerald or Mercury, he couldn’t rely on them after the Battle of Beacon. In fact, they were just as furious with him as the White Fang, convinced he had something to do with Cinder’s disappearance.

They weren’t entirely wrong; Roman’s job was supposed to have been on top of things, taking out the Atlesian military and providing Cinder and her lackeys with a getaway vehicle. Instead, they’d each had to beat a messy retreat on their own. That witch Glynda retained partial control of what remained of the city of Beacon, while in the months that followed the White Fang rebelled and rose to fill the vacuum of power left by Cinder’s absence. It should have been a resounding victory, but instead was the start of a world crumbling into utter chaos. It would have been poetic, if Roman hadn’t thrown his lot in with the losing side.

_Well. What side really won, anyway?_

“I never thought I’d say this, but I miss Junior,” Roman muttered to himself. It’d been too long since he’d had a cigar; the breakdown in trade relations between kingdoms ensured that they were a thing of the past for all but the wealthiest citizens. “I could use a smoke.”

A cigar appeared before his eyes; Roman blinked to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. It was gripped between a pair of slender fingers gloved in black. He followed the pale pink cuff up an impeccably white sleeve, heart pounding. “Neo?” he spat out, frozen in place.

A small smirk crossed her face; her eyes shifted color as she blinked.

Roman twitched; he had to fight the urge to leap off his stool and envelop her in a bone-crushing hug. _She’s alive. Neo’s alive!_ A familiar face - one that actually _liked_ him - made hope rise in his chest and a grin spread over his face. She was the same as ever - impeccably dressed, smug as a cat and staring at him with amusement as he tried to figure out just how to react.

“Where have you been? How’d you make it out alive?” Neo continued to smirk at him, and Roman’s surge of happiness faltered. _You’re asking the wrong questions_. Shuttering his smile, he leaned back into a more relaxed slouch. “Why didn’t you contact me? It’s been three years, Neo.” _Three long, hard years._ He didn’t like the way his voice dipped when he spoke; neither did she, from the look that passed briefly over her face.

The tiny smirk resurfaced, and Neo twirled her finger around in a circle. _Here and there_ , she told him; Roman could still read her as easily as he had three years ago. She shrugged - _what happened after the ship crashed isn’t worth mentioning_ \- and then pinned him under an intent, focused stare. _But now, I have business with you._

Roman focused instantly. “That’s my girl,” he told her, another smile stealing across his face. This one was more predatory. “Have you spoken to the boss lady?”

Neo’s eyes flickered, a matching pair of brown for just one instant, before nodding.

“Has she got a new job for us?” he pressed, and Neo shrugged nonchalantly.

Roman turned back to his shot glass, frowning. Neo was being as mysterious as ever. It was in her nature, as an illusionist; three years ago, when he was confident that he’d known everything there was worth knowing, he’d revelled in it. It was a trait of hers that played well against his own cocky attitude. His reflection blinked at him, looking nothing like the Roman Torchwick he once was. Three years could change a person in a lot of different ways.

“Is Cinder still working with the faunus?” he asked, keeping his voice neutral. “Because if she’s the one responsible for throwing Taurus on my back…” He trailed off; maybe a double homicide a day _wasn’t_ enough.

Neo tipped her head back in a silent laugh, spinning on her stool and leaning against the bar. She crossed one leg and canted her head lazily in his direction. Her whole posture screamed _Are you an idiot?_

Unsettled, Roman threw back another shot. Before, they’d always shared some sort of gigantic, cosmic inside joke together, lording it above others - even Cinder and her minions. Now, it felt suspiciously like he was the outsider and the joke was on him. “Tell me she has a plan. And that I’m a part of it.”

Neo nodded at him again, still regarding him with that unnerving stare. Her eyes were almost completely white now, but for the two pinpricks of her pupils. She made no move to explain herself, and Roman felt his stomach clench.

“You’re here to test me. See if old Torchwick can still keep up.”

The amused twist of her lips was answer enough; Roman felt his anger growing.

 _Three years. Three years of living like an amateur street thug because of Cinder, and this is what I get?_ His hand clenched around the shot glass so tightly it cracked. “I’m in. You know I’m in! Neo, it’s _me_. Don’t be like that. You’re not one of Cinder’s bratty little kids. We know each other better than that!”

She blinked, as if to say _do we?_ But then she smiled, and the look was gone. Instead, she reached into her jacket and pulled out her scroll. Flipping it around, she showed him the screen: a map. A small red dot flashed on it.

Roman’s eyebrows went up. “Beacon? She wants me back in _Beacon_?”

Pocketing her scroll, Neo nodded. Then she took in Roman’s attire and wrinkled her nose. After adjusting the cuffs of her sleeves, she pulled out a credit chip - _when was the last time he’d seen one of those!_ \- and threw it at him. _First, new clothes_ , he clearly read.

“Well well well. If I’m coming back, I suppose I’ll have to look the part.” His smile returned, along with a budding sense of purpose. _Finally._ Roman Torchwick was making a return, and he was going to make the world _pay_.

Neo leapt off of her stool gracefully, parasol in hand. She grinned, recognizing the look on his face, and sauntered towards the door. Roman followed her, eager to grab a way out of the hell his life had somehow turned into.

There was a small part of him that still turned uneasily as he followed his partner out onto the street; the part that whispered _and just who is who’s minion_ **_now_** _?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title comes from another Björk song.
> 
> Âhina means “white” in Hawaiian.
> 
> Neither Ginger nor Ahina have an activated aura or Semblances; they’re just “ordinary” terrorists.
> 
> Yes, Torchwick has an aura and a Semblance. More will be revealed about that later.
> 
> Neo does not have silver eyes. I always thought they turned white in canon.


	4. Scatterheart

 

_the time it takes a tear to fall / a heart to miss a beat  
a snake to shed its skin / a rose to grow a thorn _

 

“This is great!”

Ruby giggled, watching Nora root through the condiments.

“Always seeing the positive?” Ren observed. He reclined his seat as far back as it would go and crossed his arms behind his head.

Nora withdrew from the supply closet to make a face at Ren. “So what if this ship is lacking in the personnel department?” She waved a few bags of complimentary peanuts at him. “At least we can eat as much as we want. Plus, we can take any seat we want - which is why _yours_ is bigger than the bed in your dorm room!”

“Softer, too,” Ren sighed, closing his eyes. He sputtered as a flying pillow smacked him out of his complacency.

“And we can have more than one pillow, Ren! _More than one!_ ”

Taking the offending pillow and arranging it under his head, Ren hummed in contentment. “I guess you’re right about that. Throw me a blanket while you’re at it, will you?” This time he managed to catch the missile Nora lobbed at him before it hit. Shaking the blanket out, he snuggled into his seat and closed his eyes. “Wake me up when we get there.”

Jaune frowned, still looking green around the gills despite the luxury surrounding them. “You guys aren’t even a little bit disturbed by this?” He gestured at the first class cabin they’d relocated to.

In response, Ren snored loudly.

Nora emerged from the closet, dumping a small mountain of prepackaged snacks into her seat. Putting her hands on her hips, she frowned. “No, you’re right, Jaune. I forgot about the beverages.” Marching back to the closet, she dove right back in. “Anybody want anything?”

“No thanks!” Ruby called out. She eyed Jaune with some concern. “Maybe you could get Jaune some water, though.” He burped wetly, and Ruby’s eyes widened. “Or, uh, a couple of barf bags.”

“Hold it in, Jaune,” Nora called out. She leaned out of the closet to toss a bottle of water towards Ruby. “Take one for the team!”

Recovering somewhat, Jaune shot both of the girls as good of a glare as he could muster. While his motion sickness improved slightly over the years, nothing short of a miracle would ever really cure him of it. “Nora,” he managed to say. “Don’t steal all the alcohol.”

“Don’t worry!” Nora retreated with her spoils of war, still in the process of slipping as many small wine bottles as she could into her carry-on bag. “I left them a few.”

Groaning, Jaune turned his attention to Ruby. “Am I really the only one worried here?”

Uncapping the water, Ruby handed it to him. “No, I’m freaking out too,” she admitted quietly. “Where is everybody?” Her question echoed through the empty cabin.

When they’d signed up for the commercial transport to Vale, they’d received a strange look from the travel agent, followed by a three-page waiver they all had to sign. She hadn’t bothered to read the fine print, but it was becoming increasingly clear just how unpopular their destination was. Apart from the captain and the four of them, there was no one else on board.

“Maybe it’s just a slow time of year…”

“But then why would they send us over on such a huge ship?” Ruby stood up. “Look at the size of this thing!” Drawing her scythe, she let it unfold to its maximum length and swung it in a full rotation over her head to demonstrate. “Why bother with all this if we’re the only ones riding?”

Jaune unbuckled his seatbelt with a look of regret. “Maybe we should ask.”

“Who? The captain?” Sheathing Crescent Rose, Ruby followed Jaune down the aisle. She glanced at Nora, who waved them on, her cheeks stuffed. Ren continued to snore quietly, and Ruby shrugged.

Jaune stopped before the locked door signaling the entrance to the cockpit. “Since he’s the only one here besides us, well, yeah.” He knocked politely against the door and waited.

The light over the cabin flickered, and then with a hiss, the door slid open. Inside, a burly man leaned over the controls. He looked over his shoulder to greet them. “Yeah? Whadda ya want?”

Their pilot was huge and grizzled, and nothing like the well-kempt image of an airline pilot she’d expected to see. Several white streaks ran through his wild hair, and his stubble looked more like it was well on the way to a full-grown beard than a five-o’clock shadow. His slit pupils gave him away as a faunus. Those same pupils were a little too widely dilated; that, and the strong scent coming off of his wrinkled clothing made Ruby suspect he was slightly drunk.

Jaune recovered from the shock first. “Uh, sir?”

“I don’t got all day,” the pilot growled. “Spit it out.”

“Well, we were just wondering why there were no other passengers on the ship.”

At this, the pilot turned around fully to take a good long look at Jaune. “Are you serious? You kids don’t know much about Vale, do ya.”

Ruby puffed out her cheeks, annoyed. “Excuse me! We went to school there! We fought the grimm during the Battle of Beacon! I think we know plenty!”

A look of understanding crossed over the pilot’s face. “I see. You’re Huntsmen, huh. Well, that explains things.”

Jaune frowned. “No, actually, it doesn’t -” He cut off, eyes widening. “What the hell is that!”

Spinning around, the pilot let out a yell and dove for the controls. The transport went into a steep roll, sending Ruby and Jaune flying. From the surprised shouts behind them, it must have done the same to Nora and Ren.

Ruby regained her balance first and stared out the cockpit window. “Is that a nevermore?”

“Aye,” the pilot told her as he sent their ship into another steep dive to avoid it. He cursed. “Damn things are tough as hell to shake. Wish you kids hadn’t distracted me.”

Jaune, who’d managed to crawl into the co-pilot’s seat, shakily strapped himself in. The shock of playing chicken with a grimm was overriding his urge to vomit, at least. Ruby hung onto the back of his chair as the pilot wove their ship through the air like a man possessed.

“Wait, you’ve done this before?” Ruby managed to ask.

Eyes on the window, the burly man gave her a grim smile. “Yep. That’s my job. Pilotin’ to Vale pays real well, but it ain’t got much goin’ for it in the way of a retirement plan.” He sent the transport into another barrel roll; the cursing from Nora and Ren grew louder.

“Guys! Are you alright?” Ruby caught onto Ren and hauled him into the cockpit, making space for him to hang on. Nora pushed herself in behind the captain, who swore; it was getting a little too crowded in the tiny cabin.

“What’s going on?” Ren asked. “Are we being attacked?”

“Yes!” Ruby ducked instinctively as the nevermore buzzed over the top of the transport, a little too close for comfort. “We need to do something -”

“You ain’t gonna do nothin’, girlie!” the pilot roared. “This is my ship, I’m the captain here! You take that thing down, five more are gonna come lookin’ for it!” He mopped some sweat from his brow. “Ever since that damn dragon got stuck on top of the tower, this place has been a nightmare! Nobody in their right mind wants to _come in_.”

“Then why this huge transport?” Jaune asked. His fingers were still clawing the armrests of his seat in a death grip. “Wouldn’t a smaller one be easier to evade the grimm in?”

“Can’t go smaller because everyone’s tryin’ to _leave_ , son.” He jerked on the controls again, and Nora flew into the ceiling. When she landed, her eyes had that _special_ glint in them that spelled trouble.

“This is stupid!” she yelled. “I say we get out there and blast that buzzard off our backs!” Magnhild, in its grenade launcher format, was already in her hand.

“Naw, we’ll make it,” the pilot told her. “Now shaddup.” Reaching for his headset, he adjusted the microphone. “This is Ave Maria, contact Beacon approach.”

The radio crackled. “Beacon approach. Ave Maria, turn left heading three two zero. Aim for Main Street Park, we’ll clear the way.”

“No can do,” the pilot answered. “We got ourselves a Charlie Foxtrot out here. I’d say…” he leaned forward, craning his neck and scanning the darkness. “ ‘Bout two nevermores and maybe a flock of griffons below ‘em. Ready or not, we’re comin’ in hot.”

“That… doesn’t sound good,” Jaune said, his voice several pitches higher than normal.

The radio buzzed again. “Beacon approach to Ave Maria. We’ve deployed our Huntsmen. You’re cleared to land wherever you can. Try to make it to the east side.”

“Roger that.” Throwing off his headphones, the captain eyed the four of them. “Better strap in.”

Jaune sat up a little straighter. “I’m staying here. I think I can help.” He glanced at the others. “You guys can, too. Turn your scrolls on, Rangers.”

Nora’s grin was frightening as she popped her scroll out of her pocket and hooked it onto her belt. “All right! Open up the hatch, pops, I’ve got a grenade with that nevermore’s name on it!” Hefting Magnhild, she sprinted out of the cabin.

“You kids must be outta your minds,” the pilot said, though he did flip a switch on the dashboard. The sudden howl of wind blasting through the cabin was only slightly less loud than Nora’s war cry.

“Ren, stay up here with me,” Jaune said.

A look of understanding passed over Ren’s face, followed by annoyance. “... there’s nowhere for me to sit, Jaune.”

“You snooze, you lose,” Jaune answered with a smirk. “Ruby, you should get back there with Nora -- hey, Ruby?”

Ruby heard him speaking, but was frozen in place. It wasn’t the grimm that congregating around the ship - the pilot had been right about the griffons - but the sight of the city that struck her dumb. It was nothing like she remembered it; black fog covered what was left of the rubble of the city proper. The broken tower of Beacon Academy presided over the ruins, with the grimm dragon still wrapped around the column like some sort of twisted sculpture.

The view was abruptly obscured by another nevermore rushing towards the cockpit.

The captain swore heavily. “It’s too fast, I can’t dodge that one in all this traffic! Brace yourselves, we’re gonna take a hit -”

“No, we won’t,” Jaune said, his eyes lighting. Several barriers sprang into place on both sides of the ship, forming a pulsating blue corridor that they flew through. Griffons smashed into the unexpected barriers right and left in flickering bursts of light. It might have been pretty if not for their bloodthirsty screams of frustration on the other side.

“You’re a useful one, ain’t ya,” the captain said. “I got bad news, though.” He nodded his head; the nevermore originally targeting them had veered off after being blocked, and was now swooping towards the cockpit head-on. “Can ya deal with that one too?”

Jaune didn’t answer him, sweating profusely. It was taking all his concentration just to block the smaller fiends, Ruby realized.

“Ren!” She grabbed onto Ren’s sleeve and tugged it. “Jaune’s locked down.”

“Got it,” Ren said, closing his eyes. His body faded, and moments later, the entire ship shivered alongside him, turning translucent.

The nevermore cawed in confusion as it sailed right through them. Then Ren staggered, and everything solidified once more.

Nora let out a whoop as an explosion sounded behind them. Her voice crackled in over the scroll on Ruby’s belt. “Got him right in the ass!”

“Ruby --” Ren said. His eyes rolled back and he slumped over; Ruby caught him with a grunt. “Ren’s out,” she yelled, receiving a distracted hum from Jaune in reply. “I’m going to Nora,” she added, dragging Ren back to the passenger cabin and buckling him into the first chair she could reach.

“Hurry up or you’re gonna miss the party, Ruby!” Nora’s voice was punctuated by the thunder of Magnhild as she fired a few more rounds at their enemies.

In a swirl of petals, Ruby joined Nora at the tail end of the ship; she skidded to a stop and looked out over the dark city. Between the circling griffons, she could see the spread of Huntsmen coming out; they were close enough to the ground that the explosions from their weapons and Semblances were clearly visible. Grimm began to drop like stones around the ship.

“I think that’s our cue,” Ruby said to Nora with a tight smile.

“There’s one nevermore left,” Nora replied, matching her grin. “Let’s see who can get it first!”

Jaune’s voice crackled in over the scroll. “Just go already!” he yelled at them. Much more faintly, Ruby heard the captain yelling.

“-- they -- doin’? -- girls -- killed out there!”

“You’ve never really met Ruby or Nora, have you,” Jaune answered him.

“We’ll be doing the killing around here!” Nora yelled, kneeling and taking aim. “Ruby!”

Ruby leapt off of the ship; Magnhild thundered behind her, splattering a griffon that swooped down to meet her. Drawing her scythe out, she unfolded it into rifle form and fired. It was kind of like playing an entry-level shooting game, Ruby thought to herself; there were so many griffons it was really more a matter of clearing a path to the ground than aiming. Activating her Semblance, Ruby silently asked Crescent Rose not to jam.

Throwing herself into a spin as she fell, she mowed down the griffons circling her. _C’mon, c’mon. I’m making enough noise here, you’ve got to see this..._ She smiled as her target finally took notice and changed course. The nevermore opened its massive mouth, aiming to swallow her whole.

“Here we go!” Ruby let Crescent Rose extend, transforming into her full length scythe. She whirled, knocking the nevermore’s beak away; her next rotation saw the business end of the scythe sinking a good way into the bird’s fat neck and stopping her fall. Swinging her legs back and forth, she used the momentum to throw herself up onto the nevermore’s back, dragging the scythe through its flesh as she moved.

“This feels way too familiar to the last time I was here,” she groused as she kneeled and put pressure on the wound, tearing it open a little further and forcing the bird closer to the ground. She pulled her weapon out with a wet tear, refolding it back into the rifle; then she stuck the barrel directly into the wound she’d just made, aiming her gun towards the top of its head from the inside of its own body. “Sweet dreams,” she said, and began to fire continuously.

The nevermore dropped like a stone, shrieking; just before they hit the ground, Ruby leapt off, planting one last solid kick into the bird’s mangled head for an extra brutal landing. The grimm’s body exploded into smoke as it impacted; Ruby landed a few meters away from the crater she’d made. “Nora?”

“ _Hiiee-yah!_ ” The remains of a griffon landed on top where the nevermore would have been, had its body not dissolved. Nora stood up, coughing and waving the smoke away from her face. She slung her hammer over one shoulder and pouted. “Damn it! You’re always faster than me!”

“Look on the bright side -- we both beat Ren and Jaune,” Ruby said soothingly. “And you still have your wine and peanuts!”

“Ah, hah hah! You’re right!” Shielding her eyes from the sudden blast of wind, Nora looked up. “And a special delivery too! We really should travel first class more often.”

The transport lowered itself onto the square beside them, dented and badly battered. Moments later, Jaune raced out of the open hatch and doubled over, retching.

“Eww,” Ruby said, gagging and deactivating her scroll. “Jaune, turn your scroll off before you toss your cookies next time!”

Wiping his mouth, Jaune stumbled towards them. “Sorry,” he muttered. “Uh, I mean, good job, team… oh, screw it. _I hate flying._ Nora, go get Ren. And hand me one of those drinks while you’re at it, too.”

Nora whipped her hand to her forehead in a salute. “Anything to help our glorious leader foster the proper respect for alcohol!” she chirped, before scampering off towards the ship.

“Ugh,” Jaune groaned, bending over and leaning on his knees.

Ruby tiptoed over and patted him on the back, making sure his armor was clean first. “There there. We don’t even know how long we’ll stay here, so you don’t have to worry about the trip back just yet. Probably.”

“Ugh,” Jaune repeated miserably.

Their conversation trailed off as a familiar pair of heels came into sight. Ruby lifted her eyes to meet a very familiar, and still very intimidating stare.

“You always did know how to make an entrance, Ms. Rose.”

Ruby only realized she’d snapped to attention after Jaune joined her. She tried to relax her posture into something less incriminating than _caught crash-landing a public transport into the middle of your city._ “Hello ma’am. Nice to see you again?”

Glynda’s face was impassive. Then, she raised her crop in a swift motion, stern as ever, and Ruby and Jaune cringed. The sound of screeching metal filled the air; the damaged hull of the transport was forcibly bent back into shape.

“Captain Graupe,” Glynda said as their pilot exited the ship, Nora and Ren trailing behind him. “I trust everything is in order?”

“Fine as ever, Glynda,” Graupe told her. “Ready to take on the next load whenever you are.” He paused and looked over Ruby and Jaune. “You got yourself some professional help this time. These kids are good.”

Glynda’s mouth thinned, but she gave the captain a curt nod. “I’ll send the next wave over immediately. Thank you for making the run, Captain.” Her face was at odds with her words; she turned on her heel and stalked away from the ship.

Ruby exchanged a worried look with Jaune. Skipping after Glynda, she struggled to start a conversation with the intimidating woman. “So… how’s it been going?”

Without turning or slowing, Glynda huffed. “I believe you have eyes, Ms. Rose. You’d do well to use them.”

“Harsh,” Jaune muttered under his breath.

Glynda stopped and whirled to face them. “The world is harsh, Mr. Arc. We do our best to survive.” She turned to Ruby. “I suppose you’re here because of that thing?” Whipping her riding crop out, she pointed towards Beacon’s tower. When Ruby nodded, Glynda’s expression turned fierce. “It’s about time. Good that you brought him along,” she added, her eyes flicking over Jaune.

 _Huh?_ Ruby checked behind her back to make sure Glynda wasn’t talking to anyone else. “What? Who, me? And why’s it good that Jaune came?”

For a brief moment, Glynda looked honestly confused. “Qrow didn’t tell you?”

Averting her eyes, Ruby frowned. “I… don’t see Uncle Qrow too much these days. He spends all his time looking for Ozpin.”

A look of realization passed over Glynda’s face. “That bastard,” she snarled under her breath, rubbing her temples. Recovering her composure, she addressed Ruby. “How much do you know of what happened after the Battle of Beacon?”

Ruby hesitated. “I know the dragon… stopped.” The words stuck in her throat. Qrow told her _she’d_ stopped it, but Ruby was hesitant to admit it aloud. There’d been no repeat performances in the three years since, and she still had no idea _how_ she’d even tapped into the power of the silver-eyed warriors in the first place.

“I see.” Glynda resumed walking, beckoning them to follow her. “We should discuss this in the safety of the Huntsmen’s Headquarters.” She kept her eyes forward and her head held high. “Look around you, Ms. Rose. The dragon utterly destroyed Beacon Academy. Its body has acted as a continuous lure since then. As a result, the grimm have besieged what’s left of the city for the past three years.”

They passed through a set of heavy gates manned by scores of armed guards; Ruby recognized more than a few of Junior’s henchmen mixed between the expected law enforcement uniforms and the unique dress of their fellow Huntsmen. Likewise, there were just as many faunus among the city’s militia as humans. It looked like the remaining citizens of Vale didn’t have much use for previous social stratifications; everyone worked together in an attempt to survive.

“This place sure has changed,” Nora mumbled under her breath, eyeing the rolls of barbed wire. She sounded subdued.

“The grimm are everywhere,” Ren agreed; he still looked haggard, but it seemed less physical exhaustion and more a reaction to the noxious atmosphere blanketing the remains of the city. “I don’t think I saw this many around even when we were in the Emerald Forest.”

“Yes,” Glynda said. “We have Huntsmen on rotation twenty four hours a day to hold the perimeter.” Her shoulders bowed and her pace slowed. “It’s getting… more difficult, as more and more people choose leave. We’ve been collapsing the perimeter block by block for months now.” Her mouth twisted into a wry smile. “At this rate, Vale City will be nothing more than a memory by the end of the year.”

Ruby observed the inhabitants of the makeshift settlement Glynda presided over. The civilians looked drained and hopeless; very little joy could be seen on any of the faces they passed. Even as she watched, a large contingent rushed past her, each hauling as many bags and suitcases as they could carry. _Evacuees_ , Ruby noted; they were running in the direction of Captain Graupe’s transport ship.

“I don’t get it.” Jaune looked upset. “Why are you trying so hard to hold onto a lost cause?”

“The Councilmen decided on their own that Vale City collapsed with the Academy.” Glynda directed them through the crowd and towards a squat building with the symbol of Beacon Academy mounted above the door. “They abandoned us, so we abandoned them.” The look of fury splashed across her face told Ruby more than enough about Glynda’s thoughts on the Council. “I took charge of what was left to protect the survivors, as well as wait for Ozpin’s return. We still manage to conduct business in a civilized manner within these walls.” No one made any comments as an explosion loud enough to be heard from their vantage point rocked one of the city walls.

Ruby stopped at the door to look back at the Academy’s ruined tower. “This is all my fault,” she said. “If I just could have … if it was just anywhere but _there_ , then maybe the city --”

Glynda’s harsh expression softened somewhat at the note of guilt in Ruby’s voice. “That’s not your concern, Ms. Rose. You did your best; no doubt the city would have been even worse off without your intervention.”

 _That doesn’t help much,_ Ruby thought.

Glynda led them into a small but comfortable room, and offered them water. She made no comment as Nora took a small, obviously alcoholic flask from her bag and doused the entire team’s glasses with them. Ren slumped onto a couch, while Jaune seated himself at the table with a nervous twitch. Ruby slid into the seat next to him, but couldn’t bring herself to reach for the snacks Glynda lay across the table. Her stomach was twisting into too many knots; it felt like Glynda was about to interrogate them.

Glynda crossed her arms. “After you scaled the tower, Ms. Rose… what did you see?”

“I told you -”

“No!” Glynda’s voice cracked like a whip across Ruby’s answer. “I meant _what exactly_ did you _see_?”

Ruby felt the eyes of her teammates on her; her stomach dropped. “It’s fuzzy…” she hedged, unwilling to share her panicked memories of Pyrrha’s last moments with Team JNPR. Glynda waited expectantly, and Ruby forced herself to think. “I was already pretty stressed out when I got to the tower.” She swallowed. “I just felt like I needed to do _something_. Weiss wouldn’t let me go alone.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “She helped me scale the tower with her runes. But I w-wasn’t fast enough.” Stopping, Ruby noticed her hands trembling against the tabletop.

Jaune’s hand covered her own, steadying her.

“When I got to the top, everything in Ozpin’s office was already wrecked. Pyrrha… she… she was… she didn’t have any aura left. She was already bleeding, and then Cinder -- with her bow, she --” Ruby trailed off and touched her chest, where the arrow had pierced her friend. “She was still dying, and Cinder just… _incinerated_ her. Touched her, and turned her into dust, just like a grimm.”

The room was deathly silent; Jaune’s grip was painful now. Ruby tore herself away from the memory and tried to recall what happened next.

“I couldn’t believe it. I just _screamed_. My ears wouldn’t stop ringing.” She winced, rubbing her temple with her free hand. “I remember Cinder turning on me. I think I surprised her. But everything turned white… and then I woke up in Patch.” Ruby looked up. “That’s really all I remember.”

Glynda broke the silence. “Your uncle brought you down from that tower. You and your sister were evacuated to Patch immediately for medical treatment. Whatever you did up there stopped the dragon’s rampage and completely obliterated the lesser grimm invading the city.” She tapped her riding crop against her hip. “It was the dragon, you see. That creature had the capacity to create new grimm.”

That sparked a reaction in the group. “What?” Jaune spoke up first. “How’s that even possible? I thought the grimm --”

“The theory that grimm are corrupted wildlife was discarded long ago, Mr Arc.” Glynda crossed her arms and paced. “Before, we’d only speculated on their origins. Now, we know. They do not reproduce. They are _made_. Nightmares given form in the physical world.”

An uncomfortable pause followed Glynda’s declaration. If the grimm didn’t follow the typical birth and gestation cycle of other living creatures, then there was no known limit as to how many might appear in the world.

  
Glynda, oblivious to the discomfort registering on everyone but Nora’s face, pressed on. “After you left, we tried to deal with the remains of the dragon. It’s frozen, but not dead; as long as the body remains here, we can’t truly reclaim Beacon.” She levelled a significant look towards Ruby. “We’ve been hindered in our efforts by the barrier you left, Ms. Rose.”

Ruby blinked. “Barrier? What barrier?”

“Isn’t that was why you came here with your team? Mr. Arc is your resident expert on barriers, after all. Once you lower your own around the tower, we’ll be able to reach that damned dragon and end its existence once and for all.”

Ruby sat back, speechless. _I made a barrier?_

“What the heck is Glynda talking about?” Nora whispered to Jaune. “I thought we didn’t have a plan other than to come here and smash up some grimm!”

Jaune shushed her, but not before Glynda overheard the question.

“You mean you _didn’t_ come to lower the barrier?” Her tone was glacial.

Jaune leapt to her defense. “Listen, Miss-uh... _missus_ Goodwitch, we didn’t know any of that. We just came here looking for some answers.” He shot a careful glance at Ruby. “I don’t think Ruby even knew this barrier existed before now, so I’m not sure how we can help you.”

Glynda clutched her crop so tightly for a moment Ruby feared it would snap. “I have been holding this city for three years, Mr. Arc! _Three years!_ We _cannot_ leave, not until Ozpin returns! He has a plan, and that dragon is interfering with it!” Her voice rose steadily; it was beginning to border on hysteria. “This stalemate has gone on for long enough! Lives are hanging in the balance!”

Jaune’s face went white, then red. “Plan? Ozpin has _a plan_?” He stood up so quickly that his chair over with a noisy clatter. “He had _a plan_ for Pyrrha too, and look where it got her!”

Glynda recoiled as if slapped, then began to reply in a cutting tone. Nora leapt out of her seat and joined the argument, her cheeks twin spots of anger. Ren leapt off of the couch to hold her back. Ruby sat there, watching them, but buzzing of her headache growing louder. _It’s too noisy. I can’t think!_ She put her hands over her ears and stood up.

“ _Stop!_ Stop arguing!” Her shriek brought the room to silence. Lowering her hands and clearing her throat, she worried the edge of her worn stockings. “Jaune, it’s okay. This… this is what I came here to do, I think. I need to go back there and see it again.” She faced Glynda. “If I can figure out how to get rid of this barrier you say I put up, then I’ll do it.”

Glynda’s fierce expression eased slightly; Ruby wondered just how much pressure the witch had placed herself under. Strange, she’d always seen Glynda as a professional; it never even occurred to her that the woman could lose her composure. The falsity of the illusion was only too apparent now: Glynda’s face was flushed, and her hair was coming loose of from its perfect coif after her shouting match with Jaune. _How fragile she is. Glynda’s hanging on by the edge of her fingernails, just like the rest of us._

Jaune looked at Ruby. “So we’re going to the tower, then.”

“Not all of you,” Glynda interrupted, pushing up her glasses up and adjusting her hair. “As you may have noticed, the city is overrun with grimm. It’s all we can do to keep our settlement safe at the moment.” A weary look of resignation passed over her face. “Doubtless that our argument just now did nothing to improve that situation.”

“Sorry,” Jaune said sheepishly. His gaze sharpened and he elbowed Nora.

“Yeah, what he said,” Nora agreed, though she lacked the same sincerity.

A muscle in Glynda’s cheek jumped, before she spoke again. “My point is that it’s too risky to send such a large, _emotional_ team out.” She met Nora’s glare. “You’ll be cut down.”

Nora pulled out Magnhild and hefted it over her shoulder. “Not if we’re the ones holding the lawnmower.”

“Such bravado.” Glynda crossed her arms. “This is exactly why I can’t allow all of you to go. That sort of bloodlust is going to whip the grimm into a frenzy. It will be terrible for both you and my city.” She sighed. “The tower is the point of highest concentration of grimm. They gather there, seeking to rejoin with the dragon. At least that’s what I’ve theorized. We could perhaps break through with a strong team of Huntsmen, but at the moment we need every last Huntsman we can find to defend the city and guard the transport.”

“You’ve got civilians working the gates,” Ren noted. “Aren’t you worried they’ll be hurt?”

Glynda looked uncomfortable. “I’ve been... waking auras in the more dedicated civilians willing to act as a militia.”

Surprised silence settled around the room. Everyone knew waking auras in untrained adults could be dangerous; their Semblances tended to manifest suddenly and uncontrollably, as they lacked the training and flexibility of childhood. Even the appearance of Jaune’s own Semblance had been an unexpected and uncomfortable surprise in Haven; there’d been more accidents than Ruby cared to remember when his barriers started popping up everywhere around him. It had taken him months to learn how to bring it under conscious control.

“You can see the desperate situation I’m in right now. I am sorry, but we can’t spare the manpower to guide you there. In fact, we could use your help defending the city instead.” Hesitating, Glynda looked at Ruby. “What you’ll need, Ms. Rose, is stealth, not a show of force. Perhaps if Qrow were here...”

Ruby’s head shot up. “I’m not waiting for my uncle to show up and hold my hand.”

Glynda’s brows furrowed. “I’m afraid you have no choice. I cannot accompany you personally, and your team simply isn’t skilled enough to risk -”

“I’ll go with her,” Jaune declared. He’d come to see the tower too; Ruby knew there was no way he’d let himself be left behind. “Ren and Nora will stay here and help guard the city, while Ruby and I sneak in and see what we can do about that barrier. You said it, right? I’m the resident expert.”

“That isn’t your call, Mr. Arc,” Glynda snapped. She gestured to Ruby. “You are the leader of Team RNJR, aren’t you? This is your decision, Ms. Rose.”

Ruby smiled faintly. “Team RNJR follows its captain.” She nodded at Jaune, ignoring Glynda’s obvious surprise. “We’ll go right now.”

Glynda was even more surprised at that declaration. “Are you certain? You’ve just arrived, and the landing of the transport has already stirred the grimm up more than usual. It will be especially difficult --”

“If they’re busy attacking the transport, they’ll be less busy looking for us,” Jaune reasoned. He looked at Ren and Nora. “Can you guys help them out? We need you to make the distraction over here big.”

“I get to make things go boom?” Nora asked, her eyes lighting up. Ren groaned.

“Yes, you get to go _boom_ , Nora. Don’t hold back.”

Nora’s fierce yell made everyone wince.

“Well… if we’re going to do this, let’s do it,” Ruby told them. _Before I change my mind._

As they filed out of the conference room to prepare for battle, Glynda held back. Ruby hesitated, waiting for the woman to catch up.

“You’ve changed,” Glynda told her. “All of you. You’ve grown quite a bit. I suppose I was too used to thinking of you as students of the Academy.” She smiled faintly. “Ozpin would be proud of the fine young Huntsmen you’ve turned out to be.”

Ruby scrunched her brows together and stared hard at the floor. “Ozpin can tell me that himself when he gets back. But for now…” She stared at Jaune’s back. “We’re not doing this for him. This time, it’s for _us_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A “Charlie Foxtrot” is a clusterfuck in aviator slang.
> 
> When Jaune says “Turn your scrolls on” he’s telling Team RNJR to fight with their cell phones in conference call mode, so the team can still communicate even if they get separated. I couldn’t find a way to insert that explanation into the chapter without it seeming contrived, but I wasn’t sure it would be immediately obvious to the reader either.
> 
> Graupe is actually a slang term for a color (Grey + Taupe).
> 
> 7/16: fixed an error in the city name!


	5. Unravel

 

_my heart comes undone / slowly unravels / in a ball of yarn  
the devil collects it / with a grin _

 

Roman looked up from his crumpled bag as a flash lit the sky.  “They’re sending off another transport,” he observed.  “Like rats jumping off a sinking ship.”  He popped a chip into his mouth and chewed; a little soggy and crumbled, but the scavenged snack had still weathered its three-year abandonment better than the city itself.  “Sure you don’t want one?” he asked, holding the bag out.

Neo rolled her eyes and continued swinging her leg back and forth against the windowsill.  Her smirk was gone; it vanished several days ago, only to be replaced by an undercurrent of poorly-concealed impatience.

At him, no doubt.   _Two weeks in this godforsaken city and nothing to show for it._  Roman didn’t know what she was expecting of him; he was a man who thrived on the exchange - or theft - of information.  In the ruins of Vale, there wasn’t anything _left_ to steal.  Infiltrating the fortress that passed for a city was simple enough with Neo’s assistance - though the town wasn’t much better on the inside, in Roman’s personal opinion.  The residents of what remained of Vale were about as helpful as the grimm that roamed the streets beyond their encampment.  

Glynda Goodwitch was running a tight operation.  More civic-minded individuals might call her a despot; the sad reality was that the poor sobs who chose to remain in Vale got exactly the style of government they both wanted and needed.  It wasn’t that trio of spineless saps calling themselves a Council that kept Vale afloat with supplies and dust, and it sure as hell wasn’t the Council approving Goodwitch’s mass induction of newly-awakened and untrained Huntsmen.  Even the dregs of Xiong’s network had been decimated - taken apart and absorbed into Goodwitch’s new army.  Some were lured away by their new leader’s promise to unlock their auras; others driven by a sudden and newfound sense of grimm-inspired patriotism.

Roman was _almost_ impressed.  He let out a low whistle as an explosion sounded; the transport was out of danger, but the fight on the ground was still raging.  From the looks of things, Goodwitch herself was getting her hands dirty this time; _unusual_.

“Hey,” he said, tilting his head towards the light show.  “Penny for your thoughts.”

Neo didn’t even bother to look up from her nails, which were shifting color under her inspection.  The contempt she hung in the air between them was almost tangible.  She didn’t _care_ what the citizens of Vale were up to; instead Neo was focused wholly on their one goal: _retrieve the package from Beacon_.

Roman suppressed the tic of annoyance he felt.   _Well, I’m not the one who thinks waiting here for nothing to happen is a grand idea._  No small part of his own frustration was being left in the dark; Neo wouldn’t even tell him _what_ they were after, simply that it was his job to figure out _how_ to bring down that magic barrier surrounding the tower.  She seemed all-too-willing to gloss over the fact that Goodwitch spent the last three years doing exactly that - _with_ Roman’s contacts on her side.  Hell, if _Cinder herself_ couldn’t do it despite all that power she commanded, why’d she think _he_ could?  

Not only that, there was the uncomfortable matter of the drop-off.  Of all the information Neo was willing to share, it was the one thing Roman wished he _didn’t_ know.  Cinder’s contacts weren’t in Vale.  They weren’t in Mistral, Vacuo or Atlas either; they weren’t even in the Menagerie.  No, their dropoff was all the way over in _Exsul_.  Otherwise known as _the fucking Grimm Continent_.  If there was one surefire sign he’d bitten off a bite larger than he could chew, this was it.

Not that he was going to let Neo know that, of course.  She hadn’t even batted an eye when she revealed that little tidbit; another test, Roman’s instincts told him, so he’d kept his outward reaction studiedly casual.  He’d learned to trust his gut feelings; they kept him one step ahead of the White Fang for three years.  

Roman turned his attention back to the battle; those same instincts were telling him now that opportunity was knocking; the Huntsmen were going all out this time.  There was always some measure of dumb enthusiasm among the newbies, but this was strange even for Goodwitch’s makeshift army of accidents waiting to happen.  He tossed aside his snack, reaching for his cane instead.  “Something’s different this time.”

Neo looked up from her manicure; seeing him prepare to leave their safe house, she leapt down from the windowsill and picked up her parasol.  Then she faced him and leaned on it, her expression unamused.

“That’s right, we’re stepping out,” Roman told her.  “Goodwitch must be up to something.  My money’s on the tower - I bet they’re gonna to try to break it open again.  They’ve got an ace up their sleeve this time.”  He flipped his hat onto his head and gave it a tap.  “What do you say we crash the party?”

Neo’s smirk finally made a return; she twirled her parasol around in answer.

“ _Carefully,_ of course.  Wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise.”

They moved out onto the streets with purpose, heading for the Academy.  Neo took point, as she always did; it gave Roman the chance to study his tiny companion.  She was still as deceptively cute as ever; to anyone who didn’t know her, she had the appearance of a sweet child.  It was hard to believe she was only a year younger than him.  Still, not even her wide eyes or rounded cheeks could hide the increasingly vicious streak lurking below the sugary-sweet surface.  Something _changed_ in the last three years; Neo’s temper was shorter, her cynical amusement at the world now included him, and most unsettlingly, she wasn’t phased at all by the Grimm surrounding them.

They darted around one of the beasts even as he thought about how strange it was - a griffon, of course, charging its way over towards the ongoing Huntsman battle in the distance.  As usual, Neo showed absolutely no fear, completely ignoring any and all grimm unless they actively obstructed her path.

 _Well, let’s be fair_ , Roman thought as he ran, _they never got to me either until I became an appetizer._  Still, the level of unflappable calm she exuded in the face of danger was just plain _weird_.  Even as he thought it, she whipped the rapier out her parasol and stabbed through a beowulf that didn’t remove itself quickly enough.  No; besides their uncanny ability for sharing non-verbal communication, there was little left that he could recognize of his former his teammate and partner-in-crime.

 

They finally stopped on the roof of the building closest to the tower’s ruins to inspect the entrance; thanks to the efforts of the Huntsmen on the other side of the city, there were less grimm than usual milling around the base.  Neo shifted as though to continue onwards, but Roman held her back.

“Ah ah ah, we’re not in that much of a hurry.”  He met Neo’s raised eyebrow with a smirk of his own.  “Let’s wait and see what Vale’s illustrious leader is plotting first.”  He settled back into a relaxed stance, and Neo’s look of barely-contained annoyance returned.  Huffing, she turned away from him and crossed her arms.

Roman took the opportunity to shamelessly observe her.  She was hiding something from him; what, though, he had yet to unearth.  Underneath his curiosity was a niggling worry; those same instincts that had kept him alive all these years were warning him _not_ to dig deeper.  But this time Roman ignored them; it was Neo.  Hell, before the whole _collapse of civilization as humanity knew it_ started, he’d been pretty sure he and Neo were destined to be partners for life.  No, he couldn’t leave well enough alone; he owed it to his friend - and how often did Roman get to call anyone that? - to push.  He grinned; _I always did love a challenge._

“It’s funny, don’t you think?”

Neo tilted her head in acknowledgement of his words, but didn’t turn.

“Three years you’ve been working with Cinder, but you’ve only taken down Beacon so far.”

She twisted around to face him at that, eyebrows lifted.  Roman smirked in response.  “I thought you’d be going through one a year.  I mean, you _know_ we could do it.  You’ve got the most prestigious of the four academies under your belt already.”

Though she said nothing, Neo’s eyes glinted; they’d both shifted to a deep brown, a combination only used when she was contemplating an enticing challenge.  Her hatred of Atlas’ Academy was still alive and well, at least.

“See, this is why you should’ve sought me out first,” he told her with a shrug.  “With yours truly in charge, Team REND could have made good on our name.  Payback for whoever thought up of that moronic acronym system.”

Neo closed one eye in a sarcastic wink; _a bit hard to get the old crew back together when we killed Ecru and Dandelion ourselves_ , she reminded him.

“Yeah, yeah, so we’d have to hire some new help.  Look on the bright side, we’re not in school so we could have more than two minions.  What do you think about Team RAGNAROK?  A little short on the help if you ask me, but hey, if you’re going for cool names -”

Neo tossed her head, shoulders shaking in silent laughter.  Roman felt a smile pulling at his own lips; in that moment, _she_ was back - the Neopolitan he remembered, the girl who was _more_ than just his partner in crime.  The smile died out as he spotted movement from the corner of his eye; reading his face, Neo sobered and crouched by his side at the edge of the rooftop.

“Well well well,” Roman mused as a blur of motion burst into the courtyard.  Puffs of smoke exploded as the dark figure leapt from one grimm to the next, decimating the creatures with clinical efficiency.  The battle lasted only moments before the area was cleared; the blur slowed to a stop and came into focus, scythe whirling into place behind the small girl wielding it.

A familiar looking red cloak, a bit more tatty than he remembered, fluttered in the wind.  She may have changed her outfit and she’d definitely grown older, for sure, but Roman would recognize that gothic lolita anywhere.  Not to mention the weapon that was still nearly twice her size.

“If it isn’t the kid.  I didn’t think Little Red survived the Battle of Beacon.”

A thrum of silent fury caught his attention; Neo’s teeth ground together, and her eyes were a matching shade of pink.  _That_ was the expression you never wanted to be on the receiving end of; it usually preceded a boot to the face.  Unsurprisingly, she remembered their last fight with the girl all too well.

“Calm down,” Roman ordered her, all traces of easy banter wiped from his expression.  “She must be the surprise Goodwitch’s banking on.  Let her do her thing and we might just find the answer we’ve been looking for.”

Neo quivered, then exhaled with effort and gave Roman a slow nod.  She was still filled with anger, but her grip on the parasol loosened and her posture relaxed.  Her cold smile of acquiescence did little to reassure him that she’d actually _listen_ to his order if things came to a fight.

“Oww!  Ruby, wait up!”   A muscular blonde boy stumbled into the courtyard, harassed into a retreat by a raging beringel.  He took a few hits on his shield, and then, in an almost clumsy imitation of his partner’s precision, hacked off an arm of the murderous gorilla.  Taking advantage of the grimm’s stagger, the boy leapt onto its chest and lopped the creature’s head off.

“What an amateur.  So sloppy,” Roman chided under his breath, Neo nodding in agreement.  He raised an eyebrow as he watched the girl drop her battle pose and assume a more innocuous stance.

“Sorry, Jaune!  I just wanted to scout a little before you got here,” the girl chirped at him.  “Didn’t mean to leave you with the worst of them!”

Roman clucked his tongue.  “So she’s turned into a little liar, has she?  Interesting…”

To his credit, the boy gave Red a skeptical look, but shrugged it off quickly.  Instead, he stared up at the ruins of the tower, a pained look on his face.  “How are we even supposed to get up there?  The elevator’s smashed and you just _know_ with our luck that the stairs are going to be blocked, too.”

“Weiss helped me scale the outside with her runes the last time,” Red told her friend, which didn’t seem to impress him very much.  “Let’s just go up as far as we can.  We can think of a way around obstacles if we meet any.”

“When,” the boy replied with an air of resignation.

“Don’t jinx it!” his partner scolded.

“Like this place needs any more jinxing,” the boy muttered as the two disappeared into the tower.

“That’s our cue,” Roman told Neo; she nodded with a feral grin, then stood and leapt off of the edge of the building.

“Whoa!  The ladder is that-a-way, thank you very much,” he muttered, choosing to descend at a more sedate pace.  Neo had an impatient glint in her eye when he finally caught up; he frowned at her.  “I told you to calm down.  We have to let them do whatever Goodwitch sent them here for.  It’s not like you to lose your head over someone like this.”

Neo flapped her parasol open and closed with an expectant look.

“Well, yes, I suppose we _were_ just speaking of revenge, but _timing_ is everything.  Now, let’s see what those kids are up to.”  He motioned for Neo to enter the tower first, and only let his grimace surface behind her back.

 _Why’d it have to be_ **_her_** _?_  Neo was out for blood; one way or the other, this was going to get messy.  He paused and looked up the lengthy stairwell they were climbing; Red was having an easy time of it.  The boy had more difficulty; what he lacked in acrobatics, though, he made up through the use of what looked to be his Semblance to both aid in his climbing efforts as well as prevent himself from tumbling to his death when he slipped.

 _That boy must be Goodwitch’s big secret_ , Roman thought as he observed another flash of light burst over their heads.  Maybe it was his ability to create barriers that was the key to collapsing the mysterious one surrounding the top of the tower.  If that was the case, then they really _didn’t_ need Red in the picture.

The uncomfortable tight feeling rose in his stomach again; Roman growled to himself.   _Really?  A little late for a conscience, isn’t it?  Just because she saved your life_ **_once_ ** _doesn’t mean you owe her the same favor._  Still, he decided to keep his observation to himself for the time being - if Neo arrived at that same conclusion, there was a good chance Red would meet an unfortunate accident prematurely.

“I think this is it,” he heard Red say as they neared the top of the tower.  “It feels a little funny up here.  Is it the same for you too?”

Roman motioned Neo to a stop and held her back, watching the scene unfold before them.  He frowned; neither he nor Neo could sense whatever it was the girl was talking about.

“Nope,” the boy told her.  “I can’t feel a thin- _uh!_ ”

Roman smirked as the boy made the exact same mistake he had the first time he’d visited the tower: walking face-first into the invisible barrier.

“Alright, I felt that,” the boy mumbled, stepping back and holding his nose.

“So did I,” Red said, and Roman’s eyebrows rose.  He watched, baffled, as she approached the edge of the invisible barrier.

“You should watch out, it kind of hurts if you hit it too hard -”  Her companion trailed off as Red walked past the barrier unhindered.  “Ruby!  What are you doing?”

“We think of the key,” the girl said, turning to face her companion.  “Each in his prison.”  Her voice was a strange monotone, and her eyes - Roman twitched - they were _glowing_.

 _I’ve seen that glow before_ , Roman realized with a shudder.  It was the same light that had vaporized the grimm surrounding him in Vale three years earlier.  He’d got it wrong; the boy was the _bodyguard_ , and Goodwitch’s ace was _Red herself_.

“Ruby, answer me!”  The boy sounded genuinely worried.

The girl tilted her head at her companion.  “Thinking of the key, each confirms a prison.”

“That’s great, but can you come out of there now?”  The boy reached out, his hand stopped by the barrier.  He leaned against it, striking the invisible wall with his fists.  “Ruby, come on.  Snap out of it, you’re scaring me!”

“Then be afraid,” she said, and reached out towards the boy.  A wave of pressure rushed out from where their hands met, and then, in a flail of limbs, the two fell into a graceless heap against each other on the steps.

Neo was standing; almost without thinking, Roman grabbed her and pulled her back down with a silent hiss.

“Not yet,” he murmured, ignoring the look of fury Neo directed his way.  He allowed her to shake him off, keeping his attention on the two kids before them.

“Ruby!  What the heck happened?”  The boy pulled himself together first; he’d apparently overbalanced when the barrier he’d leaned against suddenly vanished.  Red took longer to sit up, rubbing her head.  Her eyes, when they opened, were free of the strange glow.

“I was about to ask you that,” Ruby told him.  “I felt you run into the barrier… and then it was like I blacked out for a moment there.”

“You started blabbering about keys and prisons, and then you just sort of…”  The boy made a whooshing sound as he waved his arms.  “Poof!  And the barrier disappeared.  I think.”  He helped Red to her feet.  “But you go first.  If there’s another ninja barrier hiding in here, your nose can be the one to find it this time.”

They climbed the stairs and disappeared from sight, and Roman finally stood.  “Remember, we’re here for the package.  Since you won’t tell me what exactly that looks like, it’s up to you to deliver.”  He ignored Neo’s mutinous look and infused a note of authority into his voice.  “We’ll fight them if we have to, but this is supposed to be an in-and-out operation.  We’re not here for revenge.”

Roman strode forward, taking the steps two at a time.  Exiting the stairwell, he banked his urge to blow Neo’s illusory cover by whistling.  It _was_ pretty impressive, though - the observatory was completely destroyed, nothing but huge piles of clockwork rubble around a small clearing with a prominent black scorch mark in the center.  The grimm dragon was twisted around the ruins, even more imposing up close than it was from a distance.

“Nothing’s changed.  Nothing at all.”  Red’s voice was barely a whisper.  “Everything’s still stopped here, just like I remember it.”

That wasn’t _exactly_ true, Roman noted as the wind whipped around him.  With the destruction of the barrier, the surrounding grimm were taking more notice of the tower than usual.  He had no idea what was happening on the ground below them, but the skies above were slowly filling with circling grimm.  It wasn’t a _comfortable_ feeling, considering past experience.  Returning his attention to the pair before him, Roman saw the boy walk towards the smudge of black smeared across the floor.  Red seemed to be frozen in place; obviously, _something_ had happened to her up here.

Her friend kneeled and picked a small object off of the ground, his face twisted in pain.  It was a brass circlet of some sort, and Roman felt a twinge of concern; _maybe that’s the package I’m supposed to deliver_?  Then the boy looked up, his gaze burning, and focused on something on the far end of the rubble.

“Is that her?” he asked Red.

Roman followed his gaze and froze in shock.   _No!  What - ?_

Cinder was trapped against the rubble, arms outspread.  Her face was frozen in a rictus of surprise and her bow was still in her hand - and she looked _exactly_ the same as she had three years ago, right down to her clothing.  Her body was still and lifeless, just as frozen as the grimm dragon.

“Fuck me,” Roman breathed as Neo moved to his side and spotted their goal.

 _Cinder isn’t the one pulling the strings_ , was the only thing Roman could think, followed swiftly by _Three years!  How could I miss this?_  Neo’s eyes glinted; so _this_ was what she’d meant when she deflected all of his questions about _the package_ with that mysterious smile.

“Yeah… that’s her.  It’s really Cinder.  She looked like that right after she - right after Pyrrha -”

The boy was already up and moving, his sword out.

“Jaune!”

Neo leapt into motion, her face pulled into a dangerous scowl.  With the sound of breaking glass, her illusion hiding them both shattered, and Roman cursed under his breath.  Neo reached the boy before he could get to Cinder, her rapier out and stabbing.  She scored him directly in the back, below his armor; on an ordinary person, it would have been a crippling blow.

Instead, the boy fell to the ground with a surprised grunt, knocked off balance.  Neo sprung back with a wince, her arm swinging wide as her sword was deflected by his aura.  Though he was still alive, she’d managed to stop him from reaching Cinder.  Her eyes flickered and then she leapt out of the way as a scythe slammed into the ground, cracking it.

“Stay away from him!” Red yelled, her face fierce.  She twirled her weapon around, pointing the business end of the rifle towards Neo, and Roman cursed again.  Red had already been a pain in his ass when she was just a kid; it was obvious from her stance that she hadn’t spent the down time slacking off.  Neo needed an assist, and he was the right man for the job.

“Little Red!  Long time no see!  Not so little anymore, are you?”

“Torchwick,” she answered, her voice thick with dismay.  “I can’t believe you’re still alive.”  Despite her acknowledgement, her eyes remained fixed on his partner.

  
_Damn._  “The feeling is mutual,” he assured her.   _I have to distract her._  “You seem a little tense.  I get it, saving the world’s a big job, hero.  Why don’t you make things easier on yourself and just forget we were here?”

Red snorted but didn’t move; her companion was groaning and rising to his feet.

 _Not good._  “Listen, you want a trip down memory lane.  I get it.  All _we_ want is Cinder.”  He shrugged and twirled his staff around, letting it rest behind his shoulders in a loose threat.  “Let’s let bygones be bygones.”

“That woman killed another human being in cold blood!”  The boy behind Red was visibly angry now; he’d clasped the circlet he’d scavenged from the ruins around his neck.  No backing down then; those two kids were out for blood too.

“Just one?” Roman replied.  “Have you been paying attention at all, kid?”  He grinned as the boy spluttered and kept an eye on Neo.  She was weaving another illusion to sneak around their two opponents; he knew his role well - keep talking and keep them _busy_.

“Jaune, don’t fall for it.”  Red’s voice cut through his banter with the same sharpness as her scythe.  “Torchwick’s a smooth talker, but his partner’s the real threat.  She uses illusions.”

The boy straightened and raised his shield, tightening his defense; he came into focus with a sudden ferocity that had Roman rethinking his initial evaluation of the kid as clumsy.

“Like Emerald?” Jaune said, and there wasn’t any uncertainty left in his tone; just like that, Roman found himself dismissed from the arena as a threat.

 _Great.  They’re a team_ , he realized, his mood turning foul.  Although being kicked aside like that - it _was_ insulting, yes, but not necessarily a disadvantage.  He meant what he’d said to Neo - his job here wasn’t to pick a fight.  Whistling, he casually edged his way around the platform towards Cinder’s body.

Watching him, the image of Neo sheathed her rapier into the parasol.  Then she delicately twirled it up to her shoulder with a smirk.

“No, I don’t think she gets in your head,” Red told her friend.  “Don’t fight with your eyes, though.”  Whatever she said had some effect on the boy, because his own eyes lit blue.  

The illusion shattered when a barrier formed right over the place where Neo looked to be standing.  The real Neo surged forward, flipping her parasol open at the last minute as she rammed into the kids.  Dust exploded from the channel on her weapon, creating a barrier of her own that sent the hapless boy careening over the edge of the tower.  Red was faster than her, though, leaping out of the way before she could be hit by the trap.

The scythe that whirled down over Neo’s head managed to split a few strands of pink hair.  Dancing away from the close call, Neo scowled and felt her head, her expression turning ugly.  Red seemed completely uninterested in the fate of her partner, which surprised Roman.

 _Huh, I thought she was soft._  Then he leapt backwards, barely avoiding a sword thrust under his nose as it became apparent why.  The boy leapt back onto the observatory’s platform, using his own barriers as makeshift stepping-stones to charge directly towards Roman.

“Stop Torchwick!” he heard Red yell.

Roman swore and continued to block the onslaught from the blonde with Melodic Cudgel.  He wasn’t even sure how he was going to get Cinder down the tower when she was a _goddamn statue._  A more-than-small part of him was considering simply picking her frozen body up and tossing it over the side of the tower - mission accomplished.  The larger part of him that wanted to live comfortably through the upcoming apocalypse, however, instructed him to rethink that plan.  He dodged another sword thrust and grit his teeth; having a buffoon tailing his every move wasn’t going to make the getaway any easier.

There was a sound of metal clashing, and Roman’s attention was caught by the sight of Neo flying past.  She caught herself before she could connect with any of the rubble, flipping gracefully into a guard.  The moment of distraction nearly cost him; he leaned backwards to avoid a swing of the boy’s shield.  “You know, they say violence is never the answer,” he teased, skipping out of the way of another attack.  The kid was good, Roman would give him that, but _he_ was _better_.  He risked another glance in Neo’s direction, and frowned in dismay.

Red was fighting with her eyes closed, and Neo was having a hard time keeping up.  His partner’s illusions could fool eyes, but not ears.  Another one of Red’s attacks sent rubble flying towards him; Roman ducked out of the way - only to barely catch himself from running face-first into a blue barrier that sprung into existence before him.

“Whoa!  Now that’s not very sporting of you, is it?”  Stepping backwards, he flipped his hat off and held it up in one hand like a shield.  “Let’s do this fair and square, like real men.”  He brandished his cane in an imitation of the boy’s own style.  “Come at me!”

“Don’t make fun of me!”  Growling, the kid charged towards him and Roman sidestepped, flipping his hat up and punching the boy directly in the face through the bowler, knocking him to the ground.  “Did you actually think I was going to use a _hat_ as a shield?”  He shook his head in disbelief and aimed Melodic Cudgel at the boy’s face, firing.  To his disappointment, another blue shield rose in time to block the shot.

The boy’s eyes widened at something over Roman’s head.  “Holy crap!”

Cursing, Roman flinched and ducked - directly into a shield punch.  He went flying backwards and rolled to a stop, cursing muzzily.   _That kid’s got the arm of an ursa on him._

“Did _you_ actually think another grimm was going to eat you?”  He smirked as Roman looked up.  “Ruby’s told us all about you, Torchwick.  You’re an ungrateful bastard!  She gave you a second chance, and look what you’re doing with it!  Helping _murderers_!”

Laughing dryly, Roman scissored his legs, sweeping the kid’s feet out from under him - really, who told him a fight was the place to get chatty?  He leapt onto the boy before he could stand, punctuating each word with a whack across the face from his cane.  “All this idealism is making my head hurt.”  Another solid hit, but still no blood - _what the hell is he made out of?_  “Why don’t you just _shut up_ and _get out of my way_?”  Standing up, Roman resorted to smashing his boot against the boy’s face; his arms were getting tired.  There was a network of cracks forming underneath Jaune’s head, but still no sign of a weakening aura.   _He and Red both - they’re breeding monsters in those academies!_

A hand reached up and grabbed ahold of Roman’s ankle, twisting it - the strong grip sent Roman back to the ground, giving him a prime view of the sky overhead.

This time, when Roman froze, it wasn’t from any trickery.  The boy might have made a feint, but he wasn’t lying - grimm were circling _everywhere_ in the sky overhead.  Many of them had already landed on the body of the frozen dragon, turning the surface of its skin into a writhing mass of black and white, littered with dozens of glowing eyes.

Three years - _three fucking years_ , he’d been trying to avoid reliving this moment.  And now, here they all were, prying the lid off his carefully sealed jar.  Not many people realized the grimm could talk.  And talk they did, constantly.  They whispered to each other, to anyone who would listen to them.

Grimm didn’t need to eat to survive; when the griffon swallowed Roman, it hadn’t been looking for a meal - it had been trying to absorb him, to make Roman a part of its own body.  He’d heard it, then - the slithering, chittering language they spoke.  He could hear it _now_.

_At last, at last, at last.  We have her, we found her, come, come **come!**   _

He scrabbled backwards, panic flooding his body.   _I need an out!  Now!_  “Neo!”

Jaune also stopped pressing the attack, dumbfounded by the sight of the dragon.  His scroll was out, he was calling someone - and Roman caught a glimpse of Goodwitch’s profile splayed across the screen.

“ - dropped the barrier, but Cinder and the dragon are still here - and so is Torchwick!”  The kid cut off as he dodged the shot Roman fired at him.  “They’re trying to take Cinder!”

 _Shit._  Ignoring the madness clawing at him, he rushed the kid, smashing the scroll out of his hands.  “Neo!” he called again, this time with more urgency.  If Goodwitch was on the way over with her mad army, it was high time to cut their losses and run, Cinder be damned.  He spotted his partner; she was still battling it out with Red, and it looked like she was losing.  

The scythe rammed Neo clean across the floor - and landed her next to Cinder’s body.  Neo came to her feet slowly with a smile, wiping at her mouth.

The whispers in Roman’s head grew louder; he fell to one knee.

_Now, now, now, NOW!_

Neo wrapped her arm around Cinder’s waist, holding her opened parasol above their heads like a white flag of surrender.  Her eyes flicked over towards Roman, one brown, one pink, both completely unreadable.

Roman’s stomach dropped.  “Wait,” he croaked, but her impassive expression was already an answer.

_You’ve served your use._

“We’re partners!”  His shout echoed over the tower, louder than the whispers in his mind.  

Her expression didn’t change as the largest nevermore he’d ever seen swooped over the tower towards them.  Its massive claws wrapped around both of the girls.

“Neo!”  He hated himself for the desperation in his voice, even as the whispers in his head turned to titters of laughter.

She winked at him as the grimm lifted its prize away; when her eyes opened, they were a sea of black, with twin red irises peering back at him.

His vision was blocked by a blur of motion; Red leapt into the air, scythe ready to cut the nevermore down.  That was the moment that Roman knew it was over - the moment when the other grimm rose in a flurry of motion, diving and throwing themselves blindly between Red and her target to block the attack.  Grimm didn’t work together for _anything_.

They also didn’t _talk_.

The voices grew silent as Red cut them out of the sky, nothing more than a flash of color as she mowed them down.  It didn’t matter; by the time she was done, it was already too late - the nevermore was gone, and Neo and Cinder were nothing more than distant specks in the darkened sky.

“Ruby!  We need to go!”  

Roman barely heard the words of the boy over the roaring in his ears.   _She left me.  She used me as a distraction and left me here to die._

He was almost grateful when the boy’s shield connected with his head, bringing the world into merciful darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Exsul is Latin for “exile” or “outcast.” I tried to stick with the naming theme of the other continents, which all have equivalents in Latin.
> 
> Ruby’s words to Jaune when she’s in a trance come from T.S. Eliot’s “[The Wasteland](http://www.shmoop.com/the-waste-land/keys-prisons-symbol.html).”


End file.
